The Linux Newbie Guide - jobs Command

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The jobs command displays background processes. The jobs command can show background or paused processes under the current shell. The basic syntax of the 'jobs' command is: jobs [OPTIONS].

Common options for the jobs command include:

-l：Display detailed information about each job, including the JID, status, and command.
-p：Display the process IDs (PIDs) of the processes associated with each job.
-n：Display only jobs that have been changed or notified.
-r：Display only running jobs.
-s：Display only stopped jobs.

Example:

$ sleep 100 & ←Run 'sleep' in the background
[1] 680
$ seq 1 1000000 ←List numbers 1 to 1000000
1
2
3 Ctrl+Z ←Press <Ctrl+Z> to pause the 'seq 1 1000000' command
[2]+ Stopped seq 1 100000000
$ jobs ←Display background or paused commands
[1] Running sleep 100 &
[2]+ Stopped seq 1 1000000

The jobs command is particularly useful when you have multiple background jobs running, and you want to monitor their status or perform actions on them, such as bringing them to the foreground using the fg command or sending signals to them using the kill command.

For more examples and explanations of operations, you can refer to this link.