To run startstop in background from the run/params directory with shells like csh, use a command like:
startstop >>& ../log/startstop_log &
This will collect the standard output and standard error from startstop AND all the modules controlled by startstop into the log file. If you don't want to save this output, you can replace "../log/startstop_log" with "/dev/null".
To get the status of Earthworm while startstop is running in background, use the Earthworm program "status". To stop a running Earthworm, use "pau". Both "status" and "pau" are used without any arguments.
NOTE: "status" and "pau" need the environment of the running Earthworm in order to communicate with it. If you change that environment, including the startstop_sol.d file, in anticipation of stopping and restarting Earthworm, then "pau" may not be able to tell the running Earthworm to shut down. If you specify an alternate command file when you run startstop, then you should also specify this command file for "status" and "pau".
Also, you should wait a few seconds after starting Earthworm before running "status", to let the Earthworm modules get going.