Controlling Execution Flow

Processes can run in the foreground (interacting with the terminal) or the background (running independently).

Running in the Background (&)

Append an ampersand (&) to a command to launch it in the background immediately, freeing up your terminal.

bash $ sleep 60 & [1] 12345

The number in brackets is the job ID, and the number after is the PID.

Moving from Foreground to Background (Suspend)

1. Run a command in the foreground (e.g., a text editor).
2. Press Ctrl + Z to suspend the process.
3. Type bg (background) to resume the suspended process in the background.

Moving from Background to Foreground

Use fg (foreground) to bring a background job back to the terminal.

bash $ fg

Brings the most recent background job to the foreground

$ fg %1

Brings job ID 1 to the foreground

Listing Jobs (jobs)

The jobs command shows all processes currently managed by the shell (running or stopped in the background).