OK...Here is my situation. I have set up a server that I will use to download large files when I don't want to use my main computer. I don't have a second screen, so I am using it via ssh. What I want to be able to do is to start a bittorrent download, kill Putty, but still have the file downloading...What can I do?

Look into either (a) the "nohup" command, or (b) the program "screen". The latter is more flexible: it'll let you disconnect your session while leaving it running, and later come back and continue working on it.

...I can't begin to thank you enough!! Screen works like a charm!

Can't you just leave it in background? Start your process like this: myProcess &
and leave it running at the background. You should be able to logout (kill Putty) without the process being killed.

Screen is the only way to fly when it comes ot torrents.

Unfortuantly it doesn't work without Screen. Winograd you should give it a go and see what happens to the process you started.

Dan

bash also has a disown command, which works on already-running processes.

Quote: Unfortuantly it doesn't work without Screen. Winograd you should give it a go and see what happens to the process you started.

Well, i'm not sure what program you're using but atleast mlDonkey stays in the background just fine.