Unix job control command list

The following table lists the basic Unix job control commands:

Command Explanation Example
&
Run the command in the background
% long_cmd &
Ctrl-z Stop the foreground process 
[Ctrl-z] Stopped
jobs List background processes 
% jobs [1] - Stopped vi [2] - big_job &
%n
Refers to the background number n
 % fg %1
%?str
Refers to the background job containing str
% fg %?ls
bg
Restart a stopped background process
 
% bg [2] big_job &
fg
Bring a background process to the foreground
% fg %1
kill Kill a process % kill %2
~ Ctrl-z
Suspend an rlogin or ssh session 
host2>~[Ctrl-z] Stopped host1>
~~ Ctrl-z
Suspend a second level rlogin or ssh session 
host3>~~[Ctrl-z] Stopped host2>

This table is adapted from Essential System Administration, by Aeleen Frisch, copyright 1995, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.

Note:
For security reasons, rlogin is not available on UITS computers at Indiana University.

At Indiana University, for personal or departmental Linux or Unix systems support, see Get help for Linux or Unix at IU.

Related documents

About the output fields of the ps command in Unix Introduction to Unix commands Check the CPU usage of a job in Unix Run a Unix process in the background

This is document afnw in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2019-08-27 08:52:47.