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Glite Dictionary
🚫 To reject 💻 To detach (computing)
to disown

to disown

7.4
Remove a background job from the shell so it keeps running after you log out
  • verb
  • /dɪsˈoʊn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : desvincular
  • After starting the background server, he ran disown so the process survived his logout.

Examples

  • She left the large download running and used disown to prevent it stopping when closing the terminal.

  • The instructor asked students to start a job and then disown it to keep it running after they disconnected.

  • You can disown a job in the background.

  • The user disowned the background process.

  • After starting the background server, he ran disown so the process could continue running after he logged out.

  • She left the large download running and used disown to ensure it wouldn't stop when she closed the terminal.

  • The instructor instructed students to start a job and then disown it in order to keep it active even after they disconnected.

Synonyms

to detach
vsto disown
12 4.3

To separate a part from a larger group for a special task

removes a background job from control so it keeps running after logout

Antonyms

to retain
236 3.4

To keep having something such as a job or possession

Surface Forms

disown infinitive
disowned past
disowned past participle
disowning present participle
disowns third person singular

Morphology

disown = own (semi-transparent) = dis + own

While the prefix 'dis-' and the root 'own' are clear, the specific technical meaning in computing is specialized and not immediately obvious.

Etymology

Disown comes from two parts: dis- 'not' or 'away' and own 'to have' or 'control'. So in computing, to disown a job is to tell the computer you 'do not own' it anymore so it can keep running after you log out.