--- title: "Master Linux Kill Process Using ps, pgrep, pkill and More" description: "Learn the many ways of finding processes with ps, top, psgrep, and get-process and perform Linux Kill process, killall, and stop-process commands" canonical: "https://adamtheautomator.com/linux-kill-process/" --- # Master Linux Kill Process Using ps, pgrep, pkill and More > Learn the many ways of finding processes with ps, top, psgrep, and get-process and perform Linux Kill process, killall, and stop-process commands Source: https://adamtheautomator.com/linux-kill-process/ --- ATA Learning Tap to hide [ ATA Learning ](/) * [Home](/) * [Tutorials](/tutorials/) * [Instructors](/author/) * [Advertising](/advertising/) * [Recommended Resources](/resources/) * [About Adam](/about-adam/) Search for: * [](https://twitter.com/adbertram) * [](https://github.com/Adam-the-Automator) * [](https://www.linkedin.com/company/adam-the-automator-llc) * [](/feed/) ![Master Linux Kill Process Using ps, pgrep, pkill and More](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/How-to-Find-and-Kill-Processes-in-Linux.jpg) # Master Linux Kill Process Using ps, pgrep, pkill and More [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4147968aa2332aa682bcebf295e4e9d0eb2672dee3d9ae0523a00ac51e7d6017?s=192&d=mm&r=g)Bill Kindle](https://adamtheautomator.com/author/bill/)4 February 20217 min. read Categories: [IT Ops](/category/it-ops/) Tags:[Linux](/tag/linux/)[PowerShell](/tag/powershell/) Table of Contents * [Prerequisites](#h-prerequisites) * [Managing Processes in Linux](#h-managing-processes-in-linux) * [Tools for Locating Processes](#h-tools-for-locating-processes) * [Using the ps Command to Display Process Information](#h-using-the-ps-command-to-display-process-information) * [Finding Expanded Process Information Using the top Command](#h-finding-expanded-process-information-using-the-top-command) * [Locating Specific Process PIDs with the pgrep Command](#h-locating-specific-process-pids-with-the-pgrep-command) * [Finding Processes with PowerShell’s Get-Process in Linux](#h-finding-processes-with-powershell-s-get-process-in-linux) * [Killing Processes Using the Kill Commands in Linux](#h-killing-processes-using-the-kill-commands-in-linux) * [Linux Signals and Process Management](#h-linux-signals-and-process-management) * [Using the kill Command to Terminate a Process](#h-using-the-kill-command-to-terminate-a-process) * [Killing Processes by Name with pkill](#h-killing-processes-by-name-with-pkill) * [Killing a Process with the Top Command](#h-killing-a-process-with-the-top-command) * [Using the PowerShell Stop-Process Command to Terminate a Process](#h-using-the-powershell-stop-process-command-to-terminate-a-process) * [Next Steps](#h-next-steps) Managing processes in Linux can appear daunting to a new system administrator (sysadmin) at first. But with a little explanation and demonstration, you’ll learn how to find and perform Linux kill processes is just a matter of using command-line tools such as `ps` and `kill`. In this article, you will learn commands for locating running and errant processes, killing (terminating) running processes, finding background processes, and much more on any Linux operating system. By the end of the article, you will be managing processes based on process identification numbers (PIDs) from the command line like a Linux pro. Keep reading to learn all about process management commands in Linux! ## Prerequisites This article is going to be a walk-through of how to manage processes in Linux. If you want to be hands-on, you will need the following: * A Linux host, which can be a virtual machine or a physical machine. * To try the PowerShell examples, install [_PowerShell 7.1.1_](https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell) on a Linux host. * A non-root user account. While root access is not required, there will be an example where the root user can kill the running process of another user. > _The distribution of Linux, you choose to use, is up to you. This article will be based on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. However, the commands are standard for the Linux operating system._ Ready to get started? Good, let’s dive in. ## Managing Processes in Linux On occasion, you may run into a scenario where you need to stop a running process on a Linux system. As an example, you may have a bash script that runs on a schedule. That bash script is configured to run as another user via a [_cron_](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/cron.8.html) job (Linux process scheduler). Sometimes, this script spawns errant processes that can make the script fail. How do you kill those errant processes without rebooting the system or stopping the script? In the next sections, you will walk through commands used to locate and terminate or _kill_ processes on a Linux system. Each section will build on the last. You will learn about `ps`, `top`, `pgrep`, `kill`, and `pkill` commands all native to Linux. As a bonus, PowerShell equivalent commands [`Get-Process`](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-get-process/ "Get-Process") and `Stop-Process` are included if Linux native commands are not your style. ## Tools for Locating Processes Before killing a process you must locate the correct process to target. The unique PID allows for precise targeting. Read on to learn how to locate the correct processes for termination. ### Using the `ps` Command to Display Process Information The [_Process Status_](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/ps.1.html) or `ps` command displays information related to active processes on a Linux system. You can locate a running process and even _background processes_ with `ps`. The command `ps` will, by default, display all of the processes for the _effective user identification_ (EUID) of the current user. Running the `ps` command, as shown below, will return every running process that your user can terminate. ```powershell ps ``` ![Displaying processes matching the EUID (effective user ID) for the user bkindle.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Untitled-2021-01-26T160546.052.png) Displaying processes matching the EUID (effective user ID) for the user `bkindle`. ### Finding Expanded Process Information Using the `top` Command What if you want to find constantly refreshing information on running processes and system metrics, in that case, you can use the `top` command. Unlike `ps`, the `top` command updates the process information on the screen over a set interval. When you run the `top` command, you will see more than just a PID. Included with process details are CPU and memory percentages, [_Nice values (CPU scheduling process priority)_](https://www.tecmint.com/set-linux-process-priority-using-nice-and-renice-commands/), and the process priority (PR) set by the Linux kernel. For a new or experienced sysadmin, the `top` command is often the primary tool for managing vital system resources and processes. As shown below, the `top` command output displays more process information than the `ps` command including overall system metrics. ![The top command on Ubuntu Desktop 20.04 LTS showing all running PID's.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Untitled-2021-01-26T160640.843.png) The `top` command on Ubuntu Desktop 20.04 LTS showing all running PID’s. _[`htop`](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/htop.1.html) is an enhanced variant of `top` which includes various improvements, such as a colorized terminal output._ Let’s say you’d like to inspect the memory or CPU resources a process is consuming. In that case, you can use the `p` switch of `top` as shown below. ```powershell top -p 2113 ``` ![The top command displaying information on only one PID, 2113.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Untitled-2021-01-26T160733.133.png) The top command displaying information on only one PID, 2113. Perhaps you need to display all running processes for a specific username. The `top` command offers the **`u`** switch to display only a specific user’s processes. As seen in the example below, PIDs matching only the user ID `bkindle` are shown. ```powershell top -u bkindle ``` ![The top command displaying only processes for the user bkindle.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Untitled-2021-01-26T160802.071.png) The `top` command displaying only processes for the user `bkindle`. ### Locating Specific Process PIDs with the `pgrep` Command Originally a Solaris command, [`pgrep`](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/pgrep.1.html) was ported for use with Linux. Combining the search power of the `grep` command and the process management of `ps`, `pgrep` offers flexibility in finding the exact process to target. Although `ps` displays more information, `pgrep` is designed to return only the PID of the returned processes. `pgrep` helps with locating the process using the [_many available search parameters_](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/pgrep.1.html). In the following example, `pgrep` is shown searching for any process matching `vmtoolsd`. ```powershell pgrep vmtoolsd ``` ![Using pgrep to obtain all PIDs associated with vmtoolsd.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Untitled-2021-01-26T160936.020.png) Using `pgrep` to obtain all PIDs associated with `vmtoolsd`. Similarly, specify a user ID with the `u` switch to retrieve only processes associated with that specific user. As shown below, only a single PID is returned for the user `bkindle` and the `vmtoolsd` process. ```powershell pgrep -u bkindle vmtoolsd ``` ![Retrieving the specific PID for the vmtoolsd process associated with the user bkindle.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Untitled-2021-01-26T161017.803.png) Retrieving the specific PID for the `vmtoolsd` process associated with the user `bkindle`. ### Finding Processes with PowerShell’s `Get-Process` in Linux Typical Linux commands work great, but did you know PowerShell is able to manage Linux processes too? The `Get-Process` cmdlet works similar to the Linux `ps` command and returns process information. For example, perhaps you need to find all running processes by the current user, `bkindle`. As shown below, find all PIDs (labeled ID by `Get-Process`) of the user `bkindle`. ```powershell Get-Process -IncludeUserName | Where-Object {$_.UserName -eq 'bkindle'} | Select-Object -Property 'Id','UserName','ProcessName' ``` ![Retrieving Linux PID's with PowerShell's Get-Process cmdlet.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Untitled-2021-01-26T161058.622.png) Retrieving Linux PID’s with PowerShell’s `Get-Process` cmdlet. **_Related: [How to Use PowerShell Where-Object to Filter All the Things](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-where-object/)_** Having learned how to locate different processes, read on to discover all the ways to terminate or kill a process in Linux! ## Killing Processes Using the Kill Commands in Linux In previous sections, you learned how to locate the PID of the process you want to send a kill signal to using native Linux and PowerShell commands. The next sections will explain how to use the [`_kill_`](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man2/kill.2.html) and `pkill` programs, its associated signals, and command-line switches. ### Linux Signals and Process Management Signals are the method that Linux uses to communicate with processes running in the operating system. The three primary signals that the `kill` command uses to terminate processes are: * 1 (SIGHUP) – Terminates interactive programs and causes daemons (background services) to re-read the configuration files the process uses. * 9 (SIGKILL) – Forces the process to exit without performing graceful shutdown tasks. * 15 (SIGTERM) – Allows a process to terminate gracefully, such as closing open files when finished. This is the default signal used when no number is specified when using the kill command. > _While this article only focuses on the three main signals used for killing processes, there are a total of 64 available signals. Use `kill -l` to get the list of signals and their corresponding number._ Great video on understanding process signals Now that you understand the three main signals used in terminating a process, learn how to kill a process in the next sections. ### Using the `kill` Command to Terminate a Process In this next example, you will use the `kill` command. Pretend for a moment that you are running a PowerShell instance, named `pwsh`, and the PID assigned is 22687. One way to terminate this process is shown below. 1. Use `pgrep pwsh` to determine the PID for the process `pwsh`, used in the `kill` command. 2. Use `kill -s TERM 22687` to terminate the `pwsh` process gracefully. The `TERM` command maps to the 15 (SIGTERM) signal and indicated using the `s` parameter of the `kill` command. 3. Use your choice of `top`, `ps`, or `pgrep` to verify the PID is no longer listed. Shown below is an example of the above process from an Ubuntu 20.04 LTS bash terminal. ![Using kill and associated commands to terminate the pwsh process.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Untitled-2021-01-26T161208.280.png) Using `kill` and associated commands to terminate the `pwsh` process. > _The [`killall`](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/killall.1.html) command will terminate all processes based on a name instead of PID, which can make this command pretty destructive if used carelessly. If you choose to use this command, however, use the `i` option to cause the command to ask for confirmation._ ### Killing Processes by Name with `pkill` You may have noticed that the `kill` command only works with process IDs. This can make terminating a process a complicated multi-step process. The `_[pkill](https://linuxize.com/post/pkill-command-in-linux/)_` command, included in the [_procps and procps-ng_](https://gitlab.com/procps-ng/procps) packages, terminates a process based on a searched name. Functionally, the `pkill` command acts as a wrapper around the `pgrep` program. The `pkill` command sends a specified signal to each process found instead of only listing the PIDs in the terminal. `pkill` differs from `kill` in that `pkill` can only use the name of a process, not the PID. > _The `pkill` command is not available, by default, in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. You will have to download and install the application. To do so, run `sudo apt install mcollective-plugins-process -y`._ To kill a process using `pkill` , perform the following steps: 1. Use `ps` to verify the nano application (a command-line text editor) is currently running. This step is optional, but a safety check before killing a process. 2. Use `pkill -9 nano` to forcefully terminate the nano application. Shown below is an example of the above process from an Ubuntu 20.04 LTS bash terminal. ![Using the pkill command to forcefully terminate the nano process.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Untitled-2021-01-26T161342.853.png) Using the `pkill` command to forcefully terminate the nano process. ### Killing a Process with the `Top` Command When you run the `top` command to view running processes, you can kill a given process with the **k** keystroke. You’ll see an interactive prompt asking for the PID of a process to kill. As shown below, run the `top` command and press **k.** Enter the PID that you want to kill, and press the **Enter** key to immediately terminate the PID. ![Use top to specify a process to terminate using the k keystroke.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Untitled-2021-01-26T161409.066.png) Use `top` to specify a process to terminate using the **k** keystroke. Next, learn one more alternative to native Linux commands using the PowerShell `Stop-Process` command! ### Using the PowerShell `Stop-Process` Command to Terminate a Process If Linux native commands aren’t your style, PowerShell has you covered! Just as with the `kill` command, you can terminate processes using the _**[`Stop-Process`](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.management/stop-process?view=powershell-7.1)**_ cmdlet in Linux. Once again, pretend you are running a PowerShell `pwsh` process. 1. Find the PID with `Get-Process -ProcessName 'pwsh'` and note the PIDs to terminate. 2. Use `Stop-Process -Id 29992,30014` to terminate the multiple processes returned. 3. Use `Get-Process -ProcessName 'pwsh'` and verify the PIDs, `29992` and `30014` are no longer listed, meaning they have been terminated. > _You can also use `Get-Process` and the `kill` method to terminate one or multiple processes: `(Get-Process -Id [PID]).Kill()` or `(Get-Process -Id [PID1,2,3,4]).Kill()`._ > > _Exercise caution when using the `ProcessName` parameter. Using this parameter behaves similar to the `killall` command, and will **kill all processes** matching the name(s) provided._ Below is an example of the above process from an Ubuntu 20.04 LTS bash terminal. ![Using PowerShell, Stop-Process to kill processes in Linux.](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Untitled-2021-01-26T161522.733.png) Using PowerShell, `Stop-Process` to kill processes in Linux. ## Next Steps You should now know the many ways to find and terminate processes in Linux! For your next challenge, try killing processes remotely using SSH connections or by killing processes that may be running in containers. **_Related: [A Windows Guy in a Linux World: Setting up SSH in Linux](https://adamtheautomator.com/ssh-command-in-linux/)_** Share this article [Share on X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fadamtheautomator.com%2Flinux-kill-process%2F&text=Master%20Linux%20Kill%20Process%20Using%20ps%2C%20pgrep%2C%20pkill%20and%20More)[Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fadamtheautomator.com%2Flinux-kill-process%2F)[Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fadamtheautomator.com%2Flinux-kill-process%2F) ## Related Posts ![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Getting-Started-with-PowerShell-on-Linux-A-Beginners-Guide-1.jpg) ### [Getting Advantage of PowerShell on Linux: A Beginner’s Guide](/powershell-linux/) Learn how to get started automating and writing scripts with PowerShell in Linux in this informative tutorial. ![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/26995-troubleshoot-dns-issues-powershell-codex.webp) ### [Troubleshoot DNS Issues with PowerShell](/troubleshoot-dns-issues-powershell/) Troubleshoot DNS issues with PowerShell by testing name resolution, DNS client settings, cache entries, and network connectivity in a repeatable workflow. ![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image_2025-10-24_095322075.png) ### [Migrating from PowerShell 6 to 7.5: Breaking Changes/New Features](/migrating-powershell-6-to-7-5/) Migrate from PowerShell Core 6 to 7.5: breaking changes, features, and testing tips. ## Categories * [IT Ops](/category/it-ops/) * [Cloud](/category/cloud/) * [DevOps](/category/devops/) * [Home Ops](/category/home-ops/) * [Information Security](/category/infosec/) * [Software Development](/category/software-development/) ## Site * [Home](/) * [Tutorials](/tutorials/) * [Instructors](/author/) * [Advertising](/advertising/) * [Recommended Resources](/resources/) * [About Adam](/about-adam/) Copyright 2026© ATA Learning | [Privacy Policy](/privacy/)