bg Command
Intermediate Process Management man(1)Resume a suspended job in the background
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📅 Updated: Apr 29, 2026
SYNTAX
bg [JOB_SPEC]
What Does bg Do?
The bg command resumes a suspended job in the background. When you press Ctrl+Z, the foreground process is suspended (stopped). bg then restarts it as a background job, freeing your terminal for other commands.
bg is a shell built-in used for job control. It works with job numbers from the jobs command. Without arguments, it resumes the most recently suspended job.
This command is essential for the workflow: start a command, realize it will take a long time, press Ctrl+Z to suspend, then bg to continue it in the background.
bg is a shell built-in used for job control. It works with job numbers from the jobs command. Without arguments, it resumes the most recently suspended job.
This command is essential for the workflow: start a command, realize it will take a long time, press Ctrl+Z to suspend, then bg to continue it in the background.
Options & Flags
| Option | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| %N | Resume job number N in background | bg %1 |
| %% | Resume current (most recent) job | bg |
| %- | Resume previous job | bg %- |
Practical Examples
#1 Resume last suspended job
Resumes the most recently suspended (Ctrl+Z) job in the background.
$ bg
Output:
[1]+ make -j4 &
#2 Resume specific job
Resumes job number 2 in the background.
$ bg %2#3 Typical workflow
Suspend a long-running build and continue it in the background.
$ make -j4
# Press Ctrl+Z
bg
# Now make runs in background#4 Multiple background jobs
Resumes multiple suspended jobs in the background.
$ bg %1
bg %2Tips & Best Practices
Ctrl+Z then bg workflow: Started a long command? Press Ctrl+Z to suspend, then bg to run in background. Your terminal is free again.
bg vs &: command & starts a new job in background. bg resumes a suspended job in background. Both result in background execution.
Output goes to terminal: Background jobs still print to your terminal. Redirect output before backgrounding: command > log 2>&1 then Ctrl+Z, bg.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I move a running process to the background?
Press Ctrl+Z to suspend it, then type bg to resume it in the background. The terminal is now free for other commands.
What is the difference between bg and &?
& starts a NEW command in the background. bg resumes a SUSPENDED command in the background. bg is used after Ctrl+Z.
How do I see my background jobs?
Use the jobs command to list all background and suspended jobs with their job numbers.
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