Task Spooler (tsp)
Manage Command Queues with Task Spooler
Task Spooler (tsp) is a lightweight and efficient Unix batch system designed to simplify the process of running commands in a queue. It allows you to submit jobs to a background queue, manage their execution, and monitor their status without cluttering your terminal. This tool is invaluable for developers and system administrators who need to automate tasks or run multiple commands sequentially or in parallel.
Key Features and Usage
Below are common commands and their explanations for using Task Spooler effectively:
Running Jobs in the Background
To run a command in the background using tsp, simply prefix it with
the tsp command. For more complex commands, you can use
shell constructs.
# Run a job in the background
tsp pg_dump mydb
# Run a complex job in the background, redirecting output
tsp sh -c "pg_dump mydb > file.log"Monitoring and Managing Jobs
Task Spooler provides several options to view and manage your queued jobs.
# Show a list of all queued and running jobs
tsp -l
# Print the path to the log file for a specific job
tsp -o [job ID]
# Print the log file content for a specific job
tsp -c [job ID]
# Clear the entire job list (both completed and queued)
tsp -C
# Kill a specific job by its ID
kill $(tsp -p [job ID])Understanding Task Spooler
Task Spooler is built for simplicity and speed. It acts as a queue manager, allowing you to submit tasks and forget about them until they are completed. This is particularly useful for long-running processes or when you need to execute a series of commands in a controlled environment. The ability to easily view logs and kill jobs makes it a robust tool for command-line automation.