Windows
Linux
Services & Processes
Processes
Windows start /wait equivalent in Linux
Pauses a shell script until one or more background processes finish.
Windows
→
start /wait
Linux equivalents
wait PID
wait PID
wait PID
Overview
What this command does
Pauses a shell script until one or more background processes finish.
Migration tip: A foreground command already blocks until it exits. Use
wait specifically for jobs previously started with &.Practical tasks
Common use cases
Wait for background jobs
Pauses a shell script until one or more background processes finish.
long-command & pid=$!
Start a job and save its PID
wait "$pid"
Wait for that process
wait
Wait for all current background jobs
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
long-command & pid=$!
wait "$pid"
wait
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
long-command & pid=$! # start a job and capture its PID
wait "$pid" # wait for one process
wait # wait for every background jobReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
long-command & pid=$! | Start a job and save its PID |
wait "$pid" | Wait for that process |
wait | Wait for all current background jobs |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
This command is the same on Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch Linux when the relevant tool is installed.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | wait PID |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | wait PID |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | wait PID |
Same command on this distribution. |
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