SYNOPSIS

       kill [-signal|-s signal] processid ...
       kill -l [status]

DESCRIPTION

       Kill sends signal 15 (terminate) to the specified processes.  If a sig-
       nal number or symbolic signal name preceded by `-' or -s  is  given  as
       first  argument,  that  signal  is  sent instead of terminate (see sig-
       nal(2)).  This will kill processes that do not  catch  the  signal;  in
       particular `kill -9 ...' is a sure kill.

       By  convention,  if  process  number 0 is specified, all members in the
       process group (i.e. processes resulting from  the  current  login)  are
       signaled.   If  process number -1 is specified, all processes for which
       the user is permitted to send a signal are signaled.  Otherwise if  the
       process  number  is  negative, it is treated as a process group id, and
       all processes in that group are signaled.

       With the -l option, all available symbolic signal names are listed.  If
       the  status argument is present, the symbolic signal name corresponding
       to status, interpreted either as a signal number or as an exit value as
       given by the `$?' shell parameter, is printed.

       A  symbolic  signal  name consists of the name of the signal in the `C'
       language without the `SIG' prefix, e.g. `QUIT' for `SIGQUIT'.

       The killed processes must belong to the current user unless he  is  the
       super-user.

       The  process  number  of  an  asynchronous  process started with `&' is
       reported by the shell.  Process numbers can  also  be  found  by  using
       ps(1).

SEE ALSO

       ps(1), kill(2), signal(2)



Heirloom Toolchest                  6/30/05                            KILL(1)