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The Daily Insight

How do you stop a process running in Linux?

Author

Rachel Hernandez

Updated on May 09, 2026

Here's what you do:
  1. Use the ps command to get the process id (PID) of theprocess you want to terminate.
  2. Issue a kill command for that PID.
  3. If the process refuses to terminate (i.e., it isignoring the signal), send increasingly harsh signals until it doesterminate.

Also question is, how do I stop a process in Linux?

Killing processes with the topcommand It is very easy to kill processes using the topcommand. First, search for the process that you want tokill and note the PID. Then, press k while top is running(this is case sensitive). It will prompt you to enter the PID ofthe process that you want tokill.

Likewise, how do I kill a service in Linux? Another way to kill a process is by using theLinux top command. The top command lists all the runningprocesses on your system. All you have to do to kill aprocess is press the k key and enter the process ID of theapplication you wish to kill.

Also to know is, how do you stop a process running in Ubuntu terminal?

To kill a process using its PID, enter the“killall” command (without the quotes) at theprompt, followed by a space, and then the corresponding PID fromthe generated list. Press Enter. Killing a process using itsPID does not always work. If it doesn't work for you, you can usethe process name to kill theprocess.

How do I see processes in Linux?

How to Manage Processes from the Linux Terminal: 10Commands You Need to Know

  1. top. The top command is the traditional way to view yoursystem's resource usage and see the processes that are taking upthe most system resources.
  2. htop. The htop command is an improved top.
  3. ps.
  4. pstree.
  5. kill.
  6. pgrep.
  7. pkill & killall.
  8. renice.

Related Question Answers

What is Kill 9 in Linux?

9 Answers. Generally, you should use kill(short for kill -s TERM , or on most systems kill -15) before kill -9 ( kill -s KILL ) togive the target process a chance to clean up after itself.(Processes can't catch or ignore SIGKILL , but they can and oftendo catch SIGTERM .)

What is daemon process in Linux?

Daemon Definition. A daemon is a type ofprogram on Unix-like operating systems that runs unobtrusively inthe background, rather than under the direct control of a user,waiting to be activated by the occurance of a specific event orcondition. A process is an executing (i.e., running)instance of a program.

How do I open Task Manager in Linux?

Use Ctrl+Alt+Del for Task Manager in Linux toKill Tasks Easily. In Windows you can easily kill any taskby pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and bringing up the task manager.Linux running the GNOME desktop environment (i.e. Debian,Ubuntu, Linux Mint, etc.) has a similar tool that can beenabled to run exactly the same way.

How do you kill a service?

How to Kill a Windows Service which is stuck atstopping
  1. Find out the Service Name. To do this, go in to services anddouble click on the service which has stuck. Make a note of the“Service Name”.
  2. Find out the PID of the service. Open an elevated commandprompt and type in: sc queryex servicename.
  3. Kill the PID. From the same command prompt type in: taskkill /f/pid [PID]

What is Process Linux?

Processes carry out tasks within the operatingsystem. A program is a set of machine code instructions and datastored in an executable image on disk and is, as such, a passiveentity; a process can be thought of as a computer program inaction. Linux is a multiprocessing operatingsystem.

How do I see processes in Ubuntu?

Ubuntu also has a graphical program toview current processes.Navigate toSystem–>Administrator–>System Monitor,you willsee system processes at Process tab,kill anyby select it and click “End Process”button.

What is process ID in Linux?

A PID (i.e., process identificationnumber) is an identification number that is automatically assignedto each process when it is created on a Unix-like operatingsystem. A process is an executing (i.e., running) instanceof a program. Each process is guaranteed a uniquePID, which is always a non-negative integer.

What is Pkill?

pkill. pkill (see pgrep) is a command-lineutility initially written for use with the Solaris 7 operatingsystem. As with the kill and killall commands, pkill is usedto send signals to processes. The pkill command allows theuse of extended regular expression patterns and other matchingcriteria.

How do I close a program in Linux terminal?

Kill Linux Applications Using the TopCommand The Linux top command provides a terminaltask manager which lists all of the running processes on thecomputer. To kill a process within the top interface simplypress the 'k' key and enter the process id next to theapplication you wish to close.

How do I start Task Manager in Ubuntu?

You may want an Ubuntu equivalent of the WindowsTask Manager and open it via Ctrl+Alt+Del keycombination. Ubuntu has the built-in utility to monitor orkill system running processes which acts like the “TaskManager”, it's called System Monitor.

What is Kill 9 command in Linux?

SIGKILL is sure kill signal, It can not bedis-positioned, ignore or handle. It always work with its defaultbehaviour, which is to kill the process. there are someprocess which cannot be kill like this "kill %1" . ifwe have to terminate that process so special command is usedto kill that process which is kill-9.

How do you exit Vim?

How to exit Vim
  1. Press Esc key: This is very important, because you must exitthe edit mode first before typing the exit command(s). Next, youcan type one of the following commands:
  2. :q (yes, the colon is included in the command) – Thiswill quit the editor.
  3. :q! –
  4. :wq – Save the file and exit Vim.
  5. And then press the Enter key.