logout - macOS

Overview

The logout command allows you to end your current macOS user session and return to the login window. It’s primarily used when you need to switch to a different user account or terminate your session remotely.

Syntax

logout [options]

Options/Flags

None

Examples

• Simple logout:

  logout
  

• Logout remotely using SSH:

  ssh user@remote-mac "logout"
  

Common Issues

• “logout: not login shell”: This error occurs when you attempt to run logout from a non-interactive shell. Ensure you’re running it from a Terminal window or an interactive SSH session.

Integration

• Combine with sudo: Use sudo logout to log out as root or another user with administrative privileges.
• Chain with sleep: Use sleep X; logout to automatically log out after a specified delay in seconds (X).

Related Commands

• login: Starts a new user session.
• su: Switches to a different user account without logging out.
• screen: Creates a virtual terminal where multiple sessions can run simultaneously.