Using nohup when initial input is required

Question

On a linux system is there any way to use nohup when the process that is being nohuped required input, such as an rsync command that needs a password to be entered but will then run happily on its own?

Answer 1

If the command doesn't have to be scripted, you can do it this way:

1. run it in the foreground
2. stop it (CTRL+Z)
3. disown it so that it won't be closed when you close your shell (disown -h %jobid)
4. restart the job in the background (bg %jobid)

Answer 2

You want to look at screen. Screen will create a shell session for you, which you can detach and then reattach at a later date. Try:

 # screen rsync -a directory server@directory

You can type in your password, verify that it's running as you expect and then press 'ctrl-a' followed by 'd'. You should now be detached from your screen session. If you want to see how it's getting on, run

 # screen -r

and you should be reattached. 'ctrl-a' 'd' will detach you again.

When the command finishes, screen should quit.

Answer 3

If possible it might be better for the specific instance of running an rsync command to set up SSH key authentication without a password rather than try to automatically stuff a password into rsync.

Answer 4

Aside from what's been said above, the most general solution might be to wrap the command in a script that takes input from a file and passes it on (perhaps using pipes, or expect, or something like that). The wrapper script itself is then just a normal command that doesn't require input, of course.

Answer 5

Some modules on the remote daemon may require authentication. If so, you will receive a password prompt when you connect. You can avoid the password prompt by setting the environment variable RSYNC_PASSWORD to the password you want to use or using the --password-file option. This may be useful when scripting rsync.

found this in the man page