# Foreground and Background Processes

* Usually when running a command in the command shell, the user has to wait for the process to finish before he can do anything else.
* The command is being run as a **foreground process**.
  * Only one foreground process can be running in a shell at a time.

![](/files/7i2YKcJjlXOrnUZ1x3U7)

* A user can have more **background processes** running at the same time.
* Start a process in the background with **`&`**

![](/files/w3EAULcAQGk6wcpTn09t)

* Currently running processes can be moved from the foreground to the background and viceversa.
  * **`CTRL+Z`** - suspend/pause the process
  * **`jobs`** - list the active jobs
  * **`bg`** - move the process to the background
  * **`fg`** - move the process back to the foreground

![](/files/SmTl2nykBA1baZQGQiez)

![](/files/446ACBe35ivaoEgQ36RY)

* **`+`** = fg/bg commands operate on the + process
  * use the job number to fg/bg that process

### jobs

* **`jobs`** - list all the active jobs

### fg / bg

* **`fg`** - move jobs to the foreground
* **`bg`** - move jobs to the background

***


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