How to run app “quietly” on ubuntu vps via ssh

Question

I have an ubuntu vps and I want to run an app through ssh but I want to do it "quietly". I mean, when I for example start top, it is displayed in my ssh console and I don't have access to my vps terminal line until I quit from top.
I want to run an app and don't get console output from it, I want to stay at the main ssh terminal command prompt.

Answer 1

There are two solutions - you will most likely use a combination of them.

1. install byobu, it gives you as many virtual screens as you want, you can switch between them any time. You can even let those sessions running when you log out from the VPS.
2. When you start an application and append & then it runs "in the background" until you fetch it to the "foreground" again or kill it, but that is not useful for apps that write to the screen all the time like top does

Answer 2

nohup is a good solution for what you want

nohup ping localhost & will create a log file called nohup.out with the programs output and the program will be running in the background

nohup ping localhost > /dev/null & wont log the programs output and the program will also be running in the background

replace "ping localhost" with the desired application you would like to run in the background

nohup is pretty much standard and should already be installed on your system no extra packages required.