Bash

Using OpenSRE with Bash scripts

OpenSRE can monitor any Bash-based pipeline, from small scripts to large chained commands, giving instant visibility into each command’s behavior.

Why use OpenSRE in combination with Bash

Many scientific or data pipelines rely on simple shell scripts that lack structured logging. OpenSRE automatically adds observability:

• Traces every subprocess (even background jobs)
• Captures CPU, memory, and I/O usage for each command
• Provides a single timeline of all steps
• Enables root-cause debugging for failures or stalls
• Works for scripts, loops, and complex shell pipelines

Getting started

Prerequisites

• Bash 4.0 or higher
• OpenSRE installed on your operating system

Just run your pipeline, OpenSRE will automatically attach

If OpenSRE is already installed on your operating system, you only need to enable the OpenSRE agent for pipelines that have not been run with OpenSRE before.
In that case, run the following command:

sudo tracer init --token <your-token>

Go to our onboarding to get your own personal token

When running this command, you will be asked to name your pipeline for clear labeling in the dashboard.

Examples

Run a Bash script under OpenSRE:

bash my_analysis.sh

or launch the OpenSRE demo workflow:

sudo tracer demo

Once the pipeline starts, open the OpenSRE dashboard, and you’ll see each command as a timeline step updating in real time.

Watch your pipeline run in the OpenSRE dashboard

View real-time metrics, resource usage, and performance insights for your pipeline runs.