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Nohup Command in Linux

Nohup Command in Linux
JC Brian Refugia
Technical writer
Linux
24.07.2024
Reading time: 4 min

In the Linux environment, controlling long-running processes and maintaining their continuity is critical, particularly for system administrators and developers. One of the most useful tools for this purpose is the nohup command. Short for "no hang up," nohup enables users to perform commands or scripts in the background, guaranteeing that they continue to execute even after logging out or losing connection. Understanding how to use nohup can dramatically improve a workflow, whether doing normal maintenance, running time-consuming scripts, or managing server activities.

Prerequisites

Make sure the following requirements are met before executing the nohup command in Linux to effectively manage long processes:

  • Access to a Linux terminal session where commands, such as nohup, can be executed.

  • To run commands, control processes, and explore directories, users must understand the fundamentals of Linux command line operations.

  • To perform commands and control processes on the system, make sure users have the necessary rights (particularly root or sudo access).

  • To monitor and control processes that were started with nohup command, it's helpful to have a basic understanding of the process management commands like ps and kill.

  • Make sure the machine has enough storage space available, particularly if the command produces output that is saved to a file.

How nohup Works

The nohup command in Linux allows process to continue running even after the user logs out or when the terminal session ends. Normally, when a user signs out or disconnected of a terminal session, all related processes receive a hangup signal (SIGHUP). This signal usually causes processes to end. However, when a process starts with nohup, the SIGHUP signal is ignored. By default, nohup redirects the command's standard output (stdout) and standard error (stderr) streams to a file called nohup.out in the current directory. This allows users to record any output or error messages created by the command even after the terminal session has terminated. When appending an ampersand (&) to the nohup command, it runs the specified command in the background.

Examples and Best Practices for Using nohup

The following are some examples of using the nohup command in Linux.

  • Navigate to the directory where the script is located (cd /home/testuser) and run the below command. This will execute the script in the background. 

Syntax: nohup ./script name &

Wherein: 

  • ./ indicates that the script will run in the current directory
  • script name is the name of the script to be run
nohup ./testscript.sh &

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Press Enter. The output of the script will be directed to file called nohup.out

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Validate it by running the command below.

ls -lrt

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To check the logs generated by the script. View the content of the file named nohup.out by executing the command below.

cat nohup.out

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  • To do the output redirection, execute the below command to redirect the output of the script to a file name.

Syntax: nohup ./script name > filename

nohup ./testscript.sh > testscript.out.log

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View the content of the file named testscript.out.log by executing the command below.

cat testscript.out.log

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  • Aside from running a script, user can also run command in background using nohup. To do this, run the command below and press Enter.

Syntax: nohup command &

nohup ps -ef &

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View the content of the file nohup.out to see the output that has been generated by the command (ps -ef). Execute the command below.

cat nohup.out

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  • Redirect the output of command using nohup. Run the command below.

Syntax: nohup command > outputfile

nohup ps -ef > ps.out.log

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Then validate the output generated by running the command below.

cat ps.out.log

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  • Chaining multiple commands with && allows nohup to execute them sequentially. See example below.

Syntax: nohup command1 && command2 && command3 &

nohup sleep 100 && echo “hello world” &

Terminating a Process Started by Nohup

Let’s say the command below was executed.

nohup sleep 100 && echo “hello world” &

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  1. First, use ps to determine the process ID (PID). Execute the command below.

ps aux | grep sleep

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We can see that PID is 104539.

  1. Kill the pid by running the command below.

kill 104539

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Conclusion

In conclusion, the nohup command is an extremely useful tool for anyone working with Linux (you can try our Linux VPS hosting for your projects), especially system administrators and developers who need to manage long-running processes. By allowing commands to persist even after the user logs out, nohup ensures that key processes are completed uninterrupted, which is critical for system stability and productivity.

Linux
24.07.2024
Reading time: 4 min

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The popularity of the powerful and versatile Linux operating system lies in the variety of available versions. From Ubuntu to Red Hat, from Mint to Fedora, each Linux version offers users unique features and benefits. Hostman offers a reliable managed Linux VPS. It is important to check Linux OS version for compatibility, as varied versions have different software requirements. Using an older version may not allow you to install and run the latest software updates. Some hardware components may not be supported by certain Linux versions. Knowing your OS version can help you troubleshoot any compatibility issues. Therefore, it is important to check the Linux OS version and know which one you're using.  Knowing your OS version in Linux is obligatory for security reasons. All operating systems release updates to address security vulnerabilities, and Linux is no exception. If you know your OS version, you can be sure that the necessary security updates are installed. 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Creating partitions within Linux is a top skill when it comes to Linux administration tasks. Even if you are a general Linux user, this could be an interesting area to explore. If you are not familiar with creating, deleting, and formatting partitions then this article could be your guide to understand these concepts in a simple way. We have followed two approaches, one where we used the graphical user interface and a tool called Gparted, and the second approach where we do and handle everything inside the terminal. The main ease comes from knowing that you can format the partition to any file system you choose like NTFS, ext4 etc. We have talked about them in significant detail in this article and we have discussed how to format your partition with one of the many file systems. 
26 May 2025 · 6 min to read

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