Don't use $math$ mode to typeset a simple '>' sign. Use \code, not \samp.

Doc/lib/libcommands.tex

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ The \code{commands} module defines the following functions:
 \begin{funcdesc}{getstatusoutput}{cmd}
 Execute the string \var{cmd} in a shell with \code{os.popen()} and return
 a 2-tuple (status, output).  \var{cmd} is actually run as
-\samp{\{\ cmd \} ; 2$>$\$1}, so that the returned output will contain output
+\code{\{ cmd ; \} 2>\&1}, so that the returned output will contain output
 or error messages. A trailing newline is stripped from the output.
 The exit status for the  command can be interpreted according to the
 rules for the \C{} function \code{wait()}.  

Doc/libcommands.tex

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ The \code{commands} module defines the following functions:
 \begin{funcdesc}{getstatusoutput}{cmd}
 Execute the string \var{cmd} in a shell with \code{os.popen()} and return
 a 2-tuple (status, output).  \var{cmd} is actually run as
-\samp{\{\ cmd \} ; 2$>$\$1}, so that the returned output will contain output
+\code{\{ cmd ; \} 2>\&1}, so that the returned output will contain output
 or error messages. A trailing newline is stripped from the output.
 The exit status for the  command can be interpreted according to the
 rules for the \C{} function \code{wait()}.