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kill
kill is the command to send signals to processes.
Some of the more often used singals:
| Signal # | Signal Name | Description | Can process ignore? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HUP | Hangup (daemons re-read config file) | Yes |
| 9 | KILL | Kill immediately, kernel level | No |
| 15 | TERM | Software termination request, process cleans up and exits (default) | Yes |
kill syntax
kill [-signal] pid
- -signal : can be the signal number or name
- pid : process id of the target
If -signal is ommited, kill sends -15 (TERM) by default.
kill examples
Ask apache to re-read its configuration file after changes have been made. (Assumes httpd is pid 2123)
kill -1 2123
or
kill -HUP 2123
Ask apache to terminate gracefully:
kill 2123
Tell the kernel to immediately kill apache:
kill -9 2123