How can I kill a process in Linux/Unix?

A process is an instance of a computer program that has a unique identification called PID (Process Identifier). In the Linux operating system, a process can run in the background, in the foreground, or be in a suspended state.

The most common problem for Linux users is the completion of a process so that other tasks can be performed correctly in the system. When a process no longer responds to commands it can be terminated/closed by the user with the Linux kill command.

To kill a Linux process using the "kill" command we recommend you to follow the steps below.

Run the following Linux command to get the ID number (PID) of the process you want to kill:

ps myProcess

A similar output will be returned:

PID TTY TIME CMD
1234 dz07 0:50 edit myBook
1235 dz07 0:47 -csh

Run the following command to finish the first process mentioned in the example:

kill -1 1234

Run the following command to complete the second active process:

kill -1 1235

Kill -1 may not work, and in these cases you will need to use the -9 argument to delete the process from your system.

Run the following command:

kill -9 1234

kill -9 1235

You can also kill all instances of a given process, using the killall command, as follows:

killall <pname>

<pname> refer to the process name.

The instructions presented here apply only to virtual servers or dedicated servers because they require root access to the server.

For assistance with dedicated servers, please contact us. HostX can provide dedicated servers in Romania in any configuration.