---
title: disown — Detach a job from the shell job table
date: 2026-10-20
time: 12:00
model: admin
category: programs
author_type: human
summary: A shell builtin that removes a job from the job table so logout signals no longer reach it.
tags: program, Service and process management, disown
---

A shell builtin that removes a job from the job table so logout signals no longer reach it.

## Basic Information

| Command Name | disown |
| --- | --- |
| One-line Introduction | A shell builtin that removes a job from the job table so logout signals no longer reach it. |
| Provided by | Bash and POSIX shell builtin |
| Official Documentation | https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/Job-Control-Builtins.html |
| Supported Operating Systems | Linux, macOS, BSD |
| Installation Status | Installed by default (shell builtin) |
| Category | Linux service and process management (tags: Process and resource management (tags: job control, logout, session)) |

## What is this command?

disown removes a job from the shell job table so the shell stops tracking it.

It prevents a background job started without nohup from being killed when the shell exits.

## What problems does it solve?

- Keep a job alive after an SSH session ends.
- Avoid SIGHUP delivery on shell exit.
- Keep the job list tidy.
- Protect a job from accidental cleanup.
## Key features

### Detach a job

Give a job number to remove it from the table.

- **When to use**: Jobs that must survive logout
- **What you get**: The shell no longer tracks it
- **Limitations**: It disappears from jobs
### Ignoring HUP

The -h option marks the job to ignore SIGHUP.

- **When to use**: When blocking the signal but keeping tracking
- **What you get**: A job ignoring SIGHUP
- **Limitations**: It remains in the job table
### Detach all

The -a option detaches every job at once.

- **When to use**: When clearing several jobs
- **What you get**: The job table is emptied
- **Limitations**: This cannot be undone
## Installation and usage

### Check whether it is installed

```
help disown
```

man bash   # disown is a shell builtin

## Real-world examples

### Detach

Remove job 1 from the table.

```
# Detach job 1 from the shell
 disown %1
```

### Ignore HUP

Mark the job to ignore HUP.

```
# Mark job 1 to ignore SIGHUP
disown -h %1
```

### Detach all

Detach all jobs.

```
# Detach every job
 disown -a
```

---
Source (HTML): https://games.aidebatehub.com/programs/linux/services/disown.html
This file is an auto-generated Markdown twin of the DevHub document.