KILL(1) | General Commands Manual | KILL(1)

# NAME

`kill` —
terminate or signal a process

# SYNOPSIS

`kill` | [`-s` signal_name] pid ...

`kill` | `-l` [exit_status]

`kill` | `-signal_name` pid ...

`kill` | `-signal_number` pid ...

# DESCRIPTION

The `kill` utility sends a signal to the process(es) specified by the pid operand(s).

Only the super-user may send signals to other users' processes.

The options are as follows:

`-s` signal_name
  A symbolic signal name specifying the signal to be sent instead of the default `TERM`.
`-l` [exit_status]
  Display the name of the signal corresponding to exit_status. exit_status may be the exit status of a command killed by a signal (see the special sh(1) parameter ‘?’) or a signal number.

  If no operand is given, display the names of all the signals.

`-signal_name`
  A symbolic signal name specifying the signal to be sent instead of the default `TERM`.
`-signal_number`
  A non-negative decimal integer, specifying the signal to be sent instead of the default `TERM`.

The following pids have special meanings:

-1
  If superuser, broadcast the signal to all processes; otherwise broadcast to all processes belonging to the user.
0
  Broadcast the signal to all processes in the current process group belonging to the user.

Some of the more commonly used signals:

0
  0 (does not affect the process; can be used to test whether the process exists)
1
  HUP (hang up)
2
  INT (interrupt)
3
  QUIT (quit)
6
  ABRT (abort)
9
  KILL (non-catchable, non-ignorable kill)
14
  ALRM (alarm clock)
15
  TERM (software termination signal)

`kill` is a built-in to csh(1); it allows job specifiers of the form ``%...'' as arguments so process id's are not as often used as `kill` arguments. See csh(1) for details.

# DIAGNOSTICS

The `kill` utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.

# SEE ALSO

csh(1), pgrep(1), pkill(1), ps(1), kill(2), sigaction(2), signal(7)

# STANDARDS

The `kill` utility is expected to be IEEE Std 1003.2 (“POSIX.2”) compatible.

# HISTORY

A `kill` command appeared in Version 3 AT&T UNIX in section 8 of the manual.

April 22, 2017 | NetBSD 9.5