Learning Linux Shell Scripting - Second Edition

Running scripts or processes even if the user logs out

Sometimes, we may need our script to run even after we log out, such as when making a backup and similar activities. In this case, even if we log out, the system is powered on and running. In such situations, we can use the nohup command. The nohup command prevents the process from terminating by using the SIGHUP signal.

The nohup command makes our script run without attaching it to a Terminal. Therefore, if we use the echo command to print text on the Terminal it will not be printed in a Terminal, since the script is not attached to a Terminal. In such cases, we need to redirect the output to the file, or nohup will automatically redirect the output to a nohup.out file.

Therefore, if ...