Ubuntu
openssh package

Start remote process via ssh or vnc or telnet and keep running when closing connection

Asked by Philippe

Hi folks,

I'm trying to start a process, SAS statistcs software, on a remote computer. I tried ssh with -X to send the output to my xserver with xterm. I tried, telnet, and also vnc with vncviewer.
I can easily start SAS and get the computations started but until now I could not figure out how to terminate the ssh/telnet/vnc connection and keep SAS running.

I'm running Ubuntu 10.04 and the remote machine is running Fedora13 without screen and input devices - but I also tried it with another Ubuntu 10.04 machine.
So basically I set up a computer only to run SAS night and day. But if the job stops when I leave the office with my local machine (notebook) thats no use to me.

Is there a solution to keep alive a process started ideally through ssh (or at least vnc) after having shut down that connection.

Thanks for your time!

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Solved by:
George Standish
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Best George Standish (george-standish-deactivatedaccount) said : 		#1

Philippe,

Have a look at the program called "screen", it allows programs to continue running even if you log off.

BUT - I've never used it with GUI applications before, not sure if it will work for your situation.

Good luck,
George

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marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#2

Please install on the remote pc byobu package then activate it by type (via ssh on remote pc) byobu and set it as automatic starting from the remote user you use to login by pressing F9 when byobu is running

byobu description: a set of useful profiles and a profile-switcher for GNU screen
 byobu includes a set of profiles for the GNU screen window manager. These
 profiles are quite useful on server machines which are not running a graphical
 desktop. The 'screen' command provides a number of advanced features are not
 necessarily exposed in the default profile. These profiles provide features
 such as status bars, clocks, notifiers (reboot required, updates available),
 etc. The profile-switcher allows users to quickly switch their .screenrc to
 any of the available profiles.
Homepage: http://launchpad.net/byobu

Revision history for this message
marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#3

BTW byobu works on cui apps...

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Philippe (philippe-rast) said : 		#4

Thanks George Standish, that solved my question.

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Philippe (philippe-rast) said : 		#5

Grazie Marco and thanks George

it works perfectly. Either with screen or with byobu.
Since i start SAS through emacs i actually don't need a GUI and the graphical output can be redirected to my local screen.