Shell tool for executing jobs in parallel to speed up command-line workflows
Updated at: March 16, 2025
Basic Parallel Command Structure
GNU Parallel is a shell tool for executing jobs in parallel. It can run commands on multiple processors, computers, and can read arguments from files or pipes to execute commands with different arguments.
Input Sources and Handling
GNU Parallel can process input from various sources including files, stdin, command output, and pipes. Understanding how to properly handle different input types ensures efficient and accurate parallel processing.
Job Control and Execution
GNU Parallel provides robust job control features to manage how commands are executed, including limiting concurrent jobs, handling failures, and optimizing resource usage.
Output Management
GNU Parallel provides various ways to control, format, and manage command output. This includes preserving output order, redirecting streams, and logging results to files - essential for processing large datasets where organized output is critical.
Remote Execution
GNU Parallel can distribute workloads across multiple remote machines using SSH. This enables powerful distributed computing capabilities without complex setup, allowing you to leverage multiple servers for CPU-intensive tasks.
Progress Monitoring
GNU Parallel offers various ways to monitor job progress, from simple progress bars to detailed statistics. These features help track execution status, estimate completion time, and provide real-time feedback on long-running parallel operations.
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