How do I keep an interactive Linux task available after an SSH disconnection?
tmux keeps a terminal session on the server so you can detach and reconnect after an SSH interruption. It is useful for attended maintenance or investigation. It does not provide durable restart after a reboot, automatic failure recovery or the lifecycle guarantees expected of a production service manager.
Before you start
- tmux is installed and the task is suitable for an interactive server session.
Instructions
1. Create or inspect a named session
Use a distinct session name for the task and the intended account. Review existing sessions first so you do not accidentally create duplicate long-running work.
tmux ls
tmux new-session -s server-reviewNo existing sessions is a normal result from tmux ls. The second command opens a new server-side terminal session.
2. Detach and return deliberately
Inside tmux, press Ctrl+B, release the keys, then press D to detach. From a later SSH connection using the same account, attach to the named session.
tmux attach-session -t server-reviewThe existing process output should reappear. If another operator shares the session, coordinate keyboard input to avoid conflicting actions.
Check the result
- The original task remains in the same session after reconnecting. Confirm its own completion result before closing that session.
Troubleshooting
- The session vanished after reboot
- tmux sessions are processes, not persistent job definitions. Use a supported service or scheduler for restartable production workloads.
- A session is not found
- Check the SSH account, host and exact session name before starting duplicate work.
Official references
Use the documentation for your installed version when a flag, service name or platform feature differs.