Move a stopped job into background so the shell continues to accept commands. 23.02.2026 | reading time: 2 min Want the shell to keep working while a suspended task runs on the side? The shell builtin bg resumes a stopped job and continues it in the background so commands can be entered immediately. Suspend then background a running task Do this to see bg in action: start a command, suspend it with Ctrl+Z, then resume it with bg; for example: ```$ sleep 300 ^Z [1]+ Stopped sleep 300 $ bg [1]+ sleep 300 & $ jobs [1]+ Running sleep 300 &``` This sequence shows job numbering, suspension and resumption in the background. Job IDs and specifying which job By default bg resumes the most recently stopped job; specify another with its job specifier like "%1" to resume job 1; use `jobs` to list job numbers and states before invoking `bg %2` or similar. When bg matters and when it doesn't Remember that bg is a shell builtin and requires job control: it is intended for interactive shells and often does nothing in non-interactive scripts; backgrounded jobs still receive SIGHUP when the session ends unless you `disown` them or started them with `nohup` or a terminal multiplexer like tmux. Combine bg with other controls Use `fg` to bring a backgrounded job back to the foreground, `jobs` to inspect states, and `disown` to detach a job so it survives logout; ampersand at start time and `nohup` provide alternative ways to run long processes detached from the terminal. Keep experimenting Try suspending editors, compiles or long downloads, move them with `bg`, check with `jobs`, then bring them back with `fg`; practicing these steps trains reflexes that speed daily shell work and troubleshooting. Join Bits & Bytes Academy First class LINUX exam preparation. processes utilities scripting troubleshooting
