Windows PowerShell Start-Sleep equivalent in Linux
Sleeps for a number of seconds.
PowerShell Start-Sleep
sleep 5
sleep 5
sleep 5
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "PowerShell Start-Sleep" is used to pause execution. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "sleep 5". Sleeps for a number of seconds. This reference is grouped under PowerShell Equivalents → Core Cmdlets.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows PowerShell Start-Sleep maps to sleep 5 for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read PowerShell vs Bash.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Pause execution
Sleeps for a number of seconds.
sleep 5
Pause execution
sleep --help
Show command help when supported
man sleep
Open the manual page when installed
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
sleep 5
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows equivalent: PowerShell Start-Sleep
sleep 5Reference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
sleep 5 | Pause execution |
sleep --help | Show command help when supported |
man sleep | Open the manual page when installed |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "sleep 5" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | sleep 5 |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | sleep 5 |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | sleep 5 |
Same command on this distribution. |
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