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logout Command Cheat Sheet

The logout command terminates a login shell.

Synopsis

logout

Usage

End SSH Session

logout
Closes connection to remote server.

End TTY Session

If you are on a physical console (Ctrl+Alt+F1).

logout

Logout vs Exit

  • logout: Only works in a login shell (the top-level shell obtained after login).
  • exit: Works in any shell (subshells, scripts, login shells).

If you try logout in a subshell: 

bash
logout
# Output: bash: logout: not login shell: use `exit`

Hooks (~/.bash_logout)

When you run logout, the shell looks for ~/.bash_logout. You can put cleanup commands there: - Clear screen (clear). - Remove SSH agent keys. - Print "Goodbye".

Notes

  • In GUI Terminal emulators (GNOME Terminal), logout might close the window or tab, depending on profile settings.
  • It is a shell builtin.