Main index

Introducing UNIX and Linux


Processes and devices

Overview
Processes
      Process status
      Foreground and background
      Process control
      Signals
Environment
      Environment variables
      Global and local variables
      Executable scripts
Program control
      Job control
      Command history list
      Running a job at a specific time
      Running programs periodically
      Big programs
      Timing a program
      Running programs in order
Quotes and escapes
Devices
Backquotes
Summary
Exercises

Summary

The following commands were introduced in this chapter

at execute commands at a specified time
batch execute commands when system load permits
bg run a job in the background
crontab schedule periodic background work
env set environment for a command
export set export attribute for a variable
fc process command history list
fg run a job in the foreground
jobs list the jobs in the current session
kill send a signal to a process
nice run a command with changed priority
nohup run a command immune to hangups
ps display information about processes
read read a line from standard input
readonly set read-only attribute for variables
renice change the priority of a running process
sleep suspend execution for a time interval
time display execution time for a command
wait suspend process until completion of another process

Copyright © 2002 Mike Joy, Stephen Jarvis and Michael Luck