Always use `set -eou pipefail` at the beginning of shell scripts to ensure consistent error handling and behavior across the codebase. This combination provides important safety guarantees: - `-e`: Exit immediately if any command exits with non-zero status - `-o`: Error on undefined variables instead of treating them as empty - `-u`: Treat unset variables as an error - `pipefail`: Return value of a pipeline is the status of the last command to exit with non-zero status Example: ```sh # Incorrect set -eu -o pipefail # or set -evx # Correct set -eou pipefail ``` This standard helps prevent subtle bugs caused by unhandled errors or undefined variables and makes scripts more robust and predictable.