NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     kill - terminate or signal a process

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     kill [-s signal_name] pid [...]
     kill -l [exit_status]
     kill -signal_name pid [...]
     kill -signal_number pid [...]

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     The kill utility sends a signal to the process(es) specified
by the pid
     operand(s).  If no signal is specified, SIGTERM is used.

     Only the superuser 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 SIGTERM.

     -l [exit_status]
             If  no operand is given, list the signal names; otherwise, write
             the signal name corresponding to exit_status.

     -signal_name
             A symbolic signal name specifying the signal  to  be
sent instead
             of the default SIGTERM.

     -signal_number
             A non-negative decimal integer specifying the signal
to be sent
             instead of the default SIGTERM.

     The following PIDs have special meanings:

           -1      If superuser, broadcast the signal to all processes; otherwise,
  broadcast to all processes belonging to
the user.

           -pgid   Send the signal to all  processes  within  the
specified process
 group.

     Some of the more commonly used signals:

           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)

     For  a  more  complete list, consult the sigaction(2) manual
page.

     A signal number of 0 (kill -0 pid) checks the validity of  a
certain PID,
     to see if it exists.  An exit code of 0 means that the specified process
     exists.

     The kill utility exists as a built-in to most  shells;  they
allow job
     specifiers of the form ``%...'' as arguments, so process IDs
are not as
     often used as kill arguments.

EXAMPLES    [Toc]    [Back]

     Forcibly terminate process ID 1234:

           $ kill -9 1234

     Send the inetd(8) daemon the hangup signal,  instructing  it
to re-read its
     configuration from /etc/inetd.conf:

           # kill -HUP `cat /var/run/inetd.pid`

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     csh(1), pkill(1), ps(1), sh(1), kill(2), sigaction(2)

STANDARDS    [Toc]    [Back]

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

HISTORY    [Toc]    [Back]

     A kill command appeared in Version 3 AT&T UNIX.

OpenBSD     3.6                          April      28,      1995