---
name: "nohup"
section: "1"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/nohup"
---

# nohup(1)

invoke a command immune to hangups

## NAME

**nohup** – invoke a command immune to hangups

## SYNOPSIS

**nohup** *utility* \[*arg* *...*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **nohup** command allows the specified utility to be protected from termination if the user should become logged out (for example, due to a modem line or TCP/IP connection being dropped). To do this, **nohup** sets the SIGHUP [signal(3)](/signal/3.md) (“terminal line hangup”) to be ignored, then executes *utility* along with any arguments.

If the standard output is a terminal, the standard output is appended to the file *nohup.out* in the current directory. If standard error is a terminal, it is directed to the same place as the standard output.

If the output file *nohup.out* cannot be created in the current directory, **nohup** attempts to create the file in the user's home directory. If the file *nohup.out* cannot be created, either in the current directory or the user's home directory, **nohup** will exit without invoking *utility*, with an exit value as described below.

## ENVIRONMENT

- HOME

  User's home directory.

## EXIT STATUS

The **nohup** utility exits with one of the following values:

- 126

  The *utility* was found but could not be invoked.

- 127

  The *utility* could not be found or an error occurred in **nohup**.

Otherwise, the exit status of **nohup** shall be that of *utility*.

## SEE ALSO

[csh(1)](/csh/1.md), [signal(3)](/signal/3.md)

## STANDARDS

The **nohup** utility is compliant with the IEEE Std 1003.1-2008 (“POSIX.1”) specification.

**nohup** also exists as a built-in to [csh(1)](/csh/1.md), though with a different syntax.