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:
- 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.
SEE ALSO
csh(1),
pgrep(1),
pkill(1),
ps(1),
kill(2),
sigaction(2),
signal(7)
STANDARDS
The
kill
function is expected to be
IEEE Std 1003.2 (``POSIX.2'')
compatible.
HISTORY
A
kill
command appeared in
Version 6 AT&T UNIX
.