How To Kill Process By Name In Linux

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As an operating system, Linux has a lot of powerful features that can help users to manage their system processes. One of the most commonly used features is the ability to kill processes by name. In this tutorial, we will show you how to kill process by name in Linux using different methods.

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Method 1: Using the pkill Command

The pkill command is a built-in Linux command that allows you to kill processes by name. It is a simple and effective way to terminate a process. To use the pkill command, follow the steps below:

  1. Open your Linux terminal.
  2. Type in the command: pkill process_name
  3. Replace “process_name” with the name of the process you want to kill.
  4. Press Enter.

Method 2: Using the killall Command

The killall command is another built-in Linux command that allows you to kill processes by name. It is similar to the pkill command, but it terminates all instances of a given process. To use the killall command, follow the steps below:

  1. Open your Linux terminal.
  2. Type in the command: killall process_name
  3. Replace “process_name” with the name of the process you want to kill.
  4. Press Enter.

Method 3: Using the kill Command

The kill command is a more advanced method of terminating processes in Linux. It allows you to send different types of signals to a process, depending on what you want to achieve. To use the kill command, follow the steps below:

  1. Open your Linux terminal.
  2. Find the process ID (PID) of the process you want to kill using the ps aux command.
  3. Type in the command: kill signal PID
  4. Replace “signal” with the type of signal you want to send (e.g. SIGTERM, SIGKILL).
  5. Replace “PID” with the process ID of the process you want to kill.
  6. Press Enter.

Method 4: Using the xkill Command

The xkill command is a simple and effective way to kill a process in Linux using a graphical interface. It is a built-in command in most Linux distributions and can be used to terminate any unresponsive application. To use the xkill command, follow the steps below:

  1. Open your Linux terminal.
  2. Type in the command: xkill
  3. Click on the window of the process you want to kill.

Method 5: Using a GUI Process Manager

Most Linux distributions come with a graphical process manager that allows you to manage and terminate processes using a user-friendly interface. These tools are generally easy to use and provide a visual representation of the system processes. Some popular GUI process managers include System Monitor, KSysGuard, and htop.

FAQs

What is a process in Linux?

A process in Linux is a running instance of a program. It can be a system process, a user process, or a daemon. Processes are managed by the operating system and can be monitored and controlled by users.

What is a signal in Linux?

A signal in Linux is a software interrupt that is sent to a process by the operating system or another process. Signals are used to inform processes about events or to request them to perform certain actions (e.g. terminate, pause, resume).

What is a PID in Linux?

A PID (Process ID) in Linux is a unique identifier assigned to each process when it is started. It is used by the operating system to manage and track processes and can be used by users to manipulate processes (e.g. kill, pause, resume).

Conclusion

Killing a process by name in Linux is a simple and effective way to manage your system processes. There are several methods that you can use to achieve this, including the pkill, killall, kill, and xkill commands, as well as GUI process managers. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can easily terminate any unwanted or unresponsive processes on your Linux system.

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