{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "annotate-output",
    "section": "1",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/annotate-output/1/json",
    "generated": "2026-05-30T06:05:56Z",
    "synopsis": "annotate-output [options] program [args ...]",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "annotate-output - annotate program output with time and stream\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "annotate-output [options] program [args ...]\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "annotate-output will execute the specified program, while prepending every line with the cur‐\nrent time and O for stdout and E for stderr.\n\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "OPTIONS": {
            "content": "",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "+FORMAT",
                    "content": "Controls the timestamp format, as per date(1).  Defaults to \"%H:%M:%S\".\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-h --help",
                    "content": "Display a help message and exit successfully.\n\n",
                    "flag": "-h",
                    "long": "--help"
                }
            ]
        },
        "EXAMPLE": {
            "content": "$ annotate-output make\n21:41:21 I: Started make\n21:41:21 O: gcc -Wall program.c\n21:43:18 E: program.c: Couldn't compile, and took me ages to find out\n21:43:19 E: collect2: ld returned 1 exit status\n21:43:19 E: make: * [all] Error 1\n21:43:19 I: Finished with exitcode 2\n\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "BUGS": {
            "content": "Since stdout and stderr are processed in parallel, it can happen that some lines received  on\nstdout will show up before later-printed stderr lines (and vice-versa).\n\nThis is unfortunately very hard to fix with the current annotation strategy.  A fix would in‐\nvolve switching to PTRACE'ing the process.  Giving nice a (much) higher priority over the ex‐\necuted program could however cause this behaviour to show up less frequently.\n\nThe  program  does  not work as well when the output is not linewise.  In particular, when an\ninteractive program asks for input, the question might not be shown until after you have  an‐\nswered  it.   This will give the impression that the annotated program has hung, while it has\nnot.\n\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SEE ALSO": {
            "content": "date(1)\n\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SUPPORT": {
            "content": "This program is community-supported (meaning: you'll need to fix it yourself).   Patches  are\nhowever appreciated, as is any feedback (positive or negative).\n\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "AUTHOR": {
            "content": "annotate-output  was  written  by  Jeroen van Wolffelaar <jeroen@wolffelaar.nl>. This manpage\ncomes under the same copyright as annotate-output itself, read  /usr/bin/annotate-output  (or\nwherever you install it) for the details.\n\n\n\nDEBIAN                                    Debian Utilities                        ANNOTATE-OUTPUT(1)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "annotate-output - annotate program output with time and stream",
    "flags": [
        {
            "flag": "-h",
            "long": "--help",
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Display a help message and exit successfully."
        }
    ],
    "examples": [
        "$ annotate-output make",
        "21:41:21 I: Started make",
        "21:41:21 O: gcc -Wall program.c",
        "21:43:18 E: program.c: Couldn't compile, and took me ages to find out",
        "21:43:19 E: collect2: ld returned 1 exit status",
        "21:43:19 E: make: * [all] Error 1",
        "21:43:19 I: Finished with exitcode 2"
    ],
    "see_also": [
        {
            "name": "date",
            "section": "1",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/date/1/json"
        }
    ]
}