KILL(1)
NAME
kill − terminate a specified process
USAGE
kill [ −sig ] processid ...
kill −l
DESCRIPTION
Kill sends the TERM (terminate, 15) signal to the specified processes. You may send an alternate signal by supplying a different signal name or number preceded by a dash (−). Refer to sigvec (2) for more information on signal names and numbers. The kill −l option produces a list of signal names, formatted in the manner found in /usr/include/signal.h, i.e., stripped of the common SIG prefix.
The terminate signal kills processes that do not catch the signal. A kill −9 ... is a sure kill, as the KILL (9) signal cannot be caught. By convention, if you are using sh (1) and you specify process number 0, all members in the process group (processes resulting from the current log-in) are signaled. Note that this will not work if you are using csh (1).
The Shell reports the process number of an asynchronous process started with an ampersand (&). Refer to csh (1) for details.
CAUTIONS
Only the super-user can kill processes he or she does not own.
No option exists for killing process groups in the manner of killpg (2).