$kill
Send termination or control signals to processes by PID.
kill [OPTIONS] PID...Try `kill` Live in Interactive Sandbox
Zero-install client simulation with real-time feedback.
Overview & How kill Works
`kill` transmits POSIX signals to running processes. Despite its name, `kill` is a signal dispatcher. By default, it sends `SIGTERM` (15), which politely asks a process to clean up resources and exit. If a program is completely frozen, `SIGKILL` (9) forcefully terminates it immediately.
Common Flags & Command Options
| Flag / Option | Description |
|---|---|
| -9, -KILL | Send SIGKILL to forcefully terminate a process immediately (cannot be caught or ignored). |
| -15, -TERM | Send SIGTERM to request graceful termination (default signal). |
| -l | List all available signal names and numbers. |
Practical Real-World Examples
kill 1024Sends SIGTERM to allow graceful shutdown.
kill -9 1024Immediately stops the process at the kernel level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should kill -9 be your last resort?
SIGKILL does not give the application time to save open files, close database connections, or remove temporary lockfiles.
Related Linux Commands
Report a snapshot of currently running system processes.
Display real-time Linux processes and system resource utilization.
Interactive process viewer with colorful CPU meters and mouse support.
Print the effective username associated with the current shell session.
Display or set system date and time.
Print operating system name and kernel architecture.