How To Keep Applications Running After Closing Terminal in Ubuntu

In this article, we’ll explore two effective methods to keep applications running after closing the terminal in Ubuntu: using the nohup command and the disown command. Both methods are useful in different scenarios, and we’ll cover each in detail.

Understanding the Need

When you launch an application from the terminal in Ubuntu, the application process is tied to the terminal session. This means when you close the terminal, the application also closes. However, there might be situations where you’d want the application to continue running even after the terminal is closed. This is where the nohup and disown commands come in handy.

Using the nohup Command

The nohup command stands for ‘no hangup’. It’s used to run a command or process in the background, and it continues to run even after the terminal is closed.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Open a terminal window.
2. Type in the following command:

nohup geany >/dev/null &

3. Press Enter.

In this command, geany is the application you want to run. The >/dev/null part redirects the output of the application to /dev/null, effectively discarding it. This is done to prevent the creation of a nohup.out file, which is where nohup usually stores its output. The & at the end ensures the process runs in the background.

Now, you can close the terminal window, and geany will continue running.

Using the disown Command

The disown command is another way to keep applications running after closing the terminal. It removes the process from the shell’s job table, making it immune to hangup signals.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Open a terminal window.
2. Type in the following command:

geany &

3. Press Enter.

This command runs geany in the background. Now, type disown and press Enter. This command removes geany from the shell’s job table, ensuring it continues running even after the terminal is closed.

Now, you can close the terminal window, and geany will continue running.

Choosing Between nohup and disown

The nohup command is more suitable if you don’t need to monitor the application’s output, as it redirects all output to /dev/null. On the other hand, the disown command is useful if you want to keep the application running and still see its output.

Please note that these methods may not work for all types of terminals or applications. Always test to ensure your application continues to run as expected after closing the terminal.

For more information, you can refer to the nohup and disown man pages by typing man nohup and man disown in the terminal, respectively.

Conclusion

Keeping applications running after closing the terminal can be a handy feature, especially for long-running processes or services. By using the nohup and disown commands, you can easily achieve this in Ubuntu. It’s always a good idea to understand the implications and use cases of these commands to effectively manage your applications and processes.