KILL(1)                 NetBSD 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 sig-
             nal (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 argu-
     ments.  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'') compati-
     ble.


HISTORY

     A kill command appeared in Version 3 AT&T UNIX in section 8 of the man-
     ual.

NetBSD 9.0                      April 22, 2017                      NetBSD 9.0