Windows start /wait equivalent in Linux
Pauses a shell script until one or more background processes finish.
start /wait
wait PID
wait PID
wait PID
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "start /wait" is used to wait for background jobs. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "wait PID". Pauses a shell script until one or more background processes finish. This reference is grouped under Services & Processes → Processes.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows start /wait maps to wait PID for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read Linux services and processes.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Wait for background jobs
Pauses a shell script until one or more background processes finish.
long-command & pid=$!
Start a job and save its PID
wait "$pid"
Wait for that process
wait
Wait for all current background jobs
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
long-command & pid=$!
wait "$pid"
wait
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
long-command & pid=$! # start a job and capture its PID
wait "$pid" # wait for one process
wait # wait for every background jobReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
long-command & pid=$! | Start a job and save its PID |
wait "$pid" | Wait for that process |
wait | Wait for all current background jobs |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "wait PID" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | wait PID |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | wait PID |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | wait PID |
Same command on this distribution. |
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