When you run a command with nohup, it automatically redirects both stdout and stderr to nohup.out. This is problematic when:

• You want real-time monitoring of the output
• You need to see logs immediately while keeping the process running
• You're debugging a long-running process

The proper way to handle this is by explicitly managing the output streams:

nohup python start.py > /dev/tty 2>&1 &

This command:

1. Redirects stdout to the terminal (/dev/tty)
2. Redirects stderr to stdout (2>&1)
3. Still keeps the process running in background (&)

If you need BOTH terminal output AND logging to a file:

nohup python start.py 2>&1 | tee nohup.out &

Key points about this approach:

• 2>&1 merges stderr with stdout
• tee writes to both terminal and file
• The final & backgrounds the entire pipeline

If you're on a modern Linux system, consider using systemd instead:

# Create a service unit
echo "[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/bin/python /path/to/start.py
Restart=always
StandardOutput=journal+console
StandardError=journal+console" > /etc/systemd/system/myservice.service

# Then enable and start
systemctl enable myservice
systemctl start myservice

Remember that:

• Terminal output might be lost if you log out (depending on your terminal manager)
• For true persistence, consider using screen or tmux
• The process will still be killed if the system reboots

When running long-term processes on Linux servers, many developers use nohup to prevent the process from terminating when the SSH session ends. By default, nohup redirects both stdout and stderr to nohup.out, which can be problematic when you need real-time output monitoring.

The simplest solution is to explicitly redirect output streams while using nohup:

nohup python start.py > /dev/tty 2>&1 &

This command:

• Redirects stdout to the terminal (/dev/tty)
• Redirects stderr to stdout (2>&1)
• Runs in background (&)

For more complex scenarios where you want both screen output and logging:

nohup python start.py 2>&1 | tee -a output.log &

This approach:

• Combines stdout and stderr (2>&1)
• Pipes to tee which shows output and logs to file
• Appends (-a) to preserve existing log content

For more robust session management, consider terminal multiplexers:

# Using tmux
tmux new -s mysession
python start.py
# Detach with Ctrl+B D

Benefits include:

• Persistent sessions that survive disconnections
• Full terminal emulation
• Ability to reattach later

When redirecting nohup output, watch for:

• Permission errors with /dev/tty
• Buffering issues (use stdbuf -oL for line buffering)
• Terminal compatibility problems