kill
kill allows sending a signal to processes.The kill command is used on Linux to send a process signals. This can be a numeric value or its defined name (e.g. SIGTERM).
Installation
When kill is not installed by default, it can be added to the system using the relevant software package.
Package information for kill
| Operating system | Package name | Installation |
|---|---|---|
| AlmaLinux | procps-ng | |
| Arch Linux | procps-ng | |
| Debian | procps | |
| Fedora | procps-ng | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux | procps-ng | |
| Rocky Linux | procps-ng | |
| Ubuntu | procps | |
Your Linux distribution using a different package? Share your feedback.
Usage
Available options
| Short option | Long option | Description |
|---|---|---|
| -l [SIGNAL] | --list [SIGNAL] | Show signal names. Signal is optional, can be used to translate between name and number. Note: Long option might not work. |
| -L | --table | Show signal names in a table. Note: long option might not work |
| -s SIGNAL | --signal SIGNAL | Specify the signal to send. Not: long option might not work |
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Examples using kill
Convert signal number to a name
Translate signal 9 to a name
kill -l 9Relevant articles using the kill command
The following articles include an example on how to use kill and might be worth further exploring.