Running things that outlast your session.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DISCONNECT
Processes started in your session are usually terminated.
WHY THAT MATTERS
A long migration or backup dies when your connection drops.
WHAT AN AMPERSAND DOES
Runs a command in the background of the current session.
WHY THAT IS NOT ENOUGH
It still belongs to the session.
WHAT nohup DOES
Detaches a command from the session so it survives disconnection.
WHERE ITS OUTPUT GOES
A file, unless you redirect it.
WHAT screen AND tmux PROVIDE
A session that persists on the server, which you can leave and rejoin.
WHY THEY ARE BETTER
You can return and see the output, interact, and resume after a dropped connection.
WHAT THE MINIMUM tmux COMMANDS ARE
Start a new session Detach with the prefix key then d List sessions Attach to one
WHAT THE PREFIX KEY IS BY DEFAULT
Control and b.
WHAT TO ALWAYS USE THEM FOR
Migrations Large copies Package upgrades Anything taking more than a few minutes
WHY PARTICULARLY HERE
Connections drop, and an interrupted upgrade can leave a system unbootable.
WHAT jobs, fg AND bg DO
List, foreground and background the jobs in your current shell.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE DISCONNECTING
Whether anything important is still attached to your session.
