# Trouble with exec output plugin
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/trouble-with-exec-output-plugin/120321
**Category:** Logstash
**Created:** [February 17, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/trouble-with-exec-output-plugin/120321 "2018-02-17T18:58:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@arisbanach](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/arisbanach)
#### Post date: [February 17, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/trouble-with-exec-output-plugin/120321/1 "2018-02-17T18:58:38Z")
I'm trying to get started with the exec output plugin but nothing i try seems to work. I currently have just the simplest config setting possible for it:
```
output {
# stdout { codec => rubydebug }
exec => {
command => "ls"
}
}
```
and it still gives me this error:
`[2018-02-17T18:57:39,728][ERROR][logstash.agent] Failed to execute action {:action=>LogStash::PipelineAction::Create/pipeline_id:main, :exception=>"LogStash::ConfigurationError", :message=>"Expected one of #, { at line 18, column 8 (byte 328) after output {\n# stdout { codec => rubydebug }\n exec ", :backtrace=>["/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/compiler.rb:42:in`compile\_imperative'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/compiler.rb:50:in `compile_graph'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/compiler.rb:12:in`block in compile\_sources'", "org/jruby/RubyArray.java:2486:in `map'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/compiler.rb:11:in`compile\_sources'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/pipeline.rb:51:in `initialize'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/pipeline.rb:169:in`initialize'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/pipeline\_action/create.rb:40:in `execute'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/agent.rb:315:in`block in converge\_state'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/agent.rb:141:in `with_pipelines'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/agent.rb:312:in`block in converge\_state'", "org/jruby/RubyArray.java:1734:in `each'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/agent.rb:299:in`converge\_state'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/agent.rb:166:in `block in converge_state_and_update'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/agent.rb:141:in`with\_pipelines'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/agent.rb:164:in `converge_state_and_update'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/agent.rb:90:in`execute'", "/usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/runner.rb:348:in `block in execute'", "/usr/share/logstash/vendor/bundle/jruby/2.3.0/gems/stud-0.0.23/lib/stud/task.rb:24:in`block in initialize'"]}`
which I can't understand at all.
---
### Author:  [@magnusbaeck](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/magnusbaeck)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2018, 2:26pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/trouble-with-exec-output-plugin/120321/2 "2018-02-18T14:26:50Z")
You have one `=>` too many. See the example in the documentation.
---
### Author:  [@arisbanach](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/arisbanach)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/trouble-with-exec-output-plugin/120321/3 "2018-02-18T15:15:42Z")
Ah, I thought I was taking crazy pills. Thanks!
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/trouble-with-exec-output-plugin/120321/4 "2018-03-18T15:15:44Z")
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