background

## Name

background — run program without waiting for it

## Synopsis

`background` {`subprogram`} {`args`...}

## Description

background runs `subprogram` as a child process (not a process group leader) and then exits without waiting for `subprogram` to finish.

## History

background was originally part of Daniel J. Bernstein's ptyget toolset in 1996.

## Author

Original code and documentation by Daniel J. Bernstein. Documentation modernizations by Jonathan de Boyne Pollard.