System and processes

The sleep command

Pauses execution for a while. Very useful in scripts to wait between steps.

Syntax

sleep SEGUNDOS

Most useful options

s, m, h, dSuffixes for seconds, minutes, hours and days (sleep 1m)

Copy-ready examples

$ sleep 2Wait 2 seconds
$ sleep 1mWait 1 minute
$ sleep 3 && echo listoWait and then print

You can try them in the browser terminal: it does not touch your computer.

Typical mistakes

  • In this terminal it is instant (simulated): it is for practising the syntax, not really waiting.
  • Do not confuse sleep (wait) with systemctl suspend (suspend the machine).

Related commands

timeoutwatchjobs

FAQ

Can I stop it?

With Ctrl+C, or by suspending the process with Ctrl+Z or kill -STOP.

Learn to actually use it

The basic Linux course takes you from zero to console fluency with 24 self-grading lessons.

Start the free course