pkill

PGREP(1)                         User Commands                        PGREP(1)

NAME
       pgrep,  pkill - look up or signal processes based on name and other at-
       tributes

SYNOPSIS
       pgrep [options] pattern
       pkill [options] pattern

DESCRIPTION
       pgrep looks through the  currently  running  processes  and  lists  the
       process IDs which match the selection criteria to stdout.  All the cri-
       teria have to match.  For example,

              $ pgrep -u root sshd

       will only list the processes called sshd AND owned  by  root.   On  the
       other hand,

              $ pgrep -u root,daemon

       will list the processes owned by root OR daemon.

       pkill  will  send  the  specified  signal  (by default SIGTERM) to each
       process instead of listing them on stdout.

OPTIONS
       -signal
       --signal signal
              Defines the signal to send to each matched process.  Either  the
              numeric or the symbolic signal name can be used.  (pkill only.)

       -c, --count
              Suppress  normal  output; instead print a count of matching pro-
              cesses.  When count does not match anything, e.g. returns  zero,
              the command will return non-zero value.

       -d, --delimiter delimiter
              Sets  the  string  used to delimit each process ID in the output
              (by default a newline).  (pgrep only.)

       -f, --full
              The pattern is normally only matched against the  process  name.
              When -f is set, the full command line is used.

       -g, --pgroup pgrp,...
              Only  match  processes in the process group IDs listed.  Process
              group 0 is translated into pgrep's or pkill's own process group.

       -G, --group gid,...
              Only match processes whose real group ID is listed.  Either  the
              numerical or symbolical value may be used.

       -i, --ignore-case
              Match processes case-insensitively.

       -l, --list-name
              List the process name as well as the process ID.  (pgrep only.)

       -a, --list-full
              List  the  full  command line as well as the process ID.  (pgrep
              only.)

       -n, --newest
              Select only the newest (most recently started) of  the  matching
              processes.

       -o, --oldest
              Select  only the oldest (least recently started) of the matching
              processes.

       -P, --parent ppid,...
              Only match processes whose parent process ID is listed.

       -s, --session sid,...
              Only match processes whose process session ID is  listed.   Ses-
              sion ID 0 is translated into pgrep's or pkill's own session ID.

       -t, --terminal term,...
              Only  match processes whose controlling terminal is listed.  The
              terminal name should be specified without the "/dev/" prefix.

       -u, --euid euid,...
              Only match processes whose effective user ID is listed.   Either
              the numerical or symbolical value may be used.

       -U, --uid uid,...
              Only  match  processes whose real user ID is listed.  Either the
              numerical or symbolical value may be used.

       -v, --inverse
              Negates the matching.  This option is usually  used  in  pgrep's
              context.   In  pkill's  context  the short option is disabled to
              avoid accidental usage of the option.

       -w, --lightweight
              Shows all thread ids instead of pids  in  pgrep's  context.   In
              pkill's context this option is disabled.

       -x, --exact
              Only match processes whose names (or command line if -f is spec-
              ified) exactly match the pattern.

       -F, --pidfile file
              Read PID's from file.  This option is perhaps  more  useful  for
              pkill than pgrep.

       -L, --logpidfile
              Fail if pidfile (see -F) not locked.

       -r, --runstates D,R,S,Z,...
              Match only processes which match the process state.

       --ns pid
              Match  processes that belong to the same namespaces. Required to
              run as root to match processes from other  users.  See  --nslist
              for how to limit which namespaces to match.

       --nslist name,...
              Match  only  the provided namespaces. Available namespaces: ipc,
              mnt, net, pid, user,uts.

       -V, --version
              Display version information and exit.

       -h, --help
              Display help and exit.

OPERANDS
       pattern
              Specifies an Extended Regular Expression  for  matching  against
              the process names or command lines.

EXAMPLES
       Example 1: Find the process ID of the named daemon:

              $ pgrep -u root named

       Example 2: Make syslog reread its configuration file:

              $ pkill -HUP syslogd

       Example 3: Give detailed information on all xterm processes:

              $ ps -fp $(pgrep -d, -x xterm)

       Example 4: Make all chrome processes run nicer:

              $ renice +4 $(pgrep chrome)

EXIT STATUS
       0      One  or  more  processes  matched  the  criteria.  For pkill the
              process must also have been successfully signalled.
       1      No processes matched or none of them could be signalled.
       2      Syntax error in the command line.
       3      Fatal error: out of memory etc.

NOTES
       The process name used for matching is  limited  to  the  15  characters
       present  in  the  output of /proc/pid/stat.  Use the -f option to match
       against the complete command line, /proc/pid/cmdline.

       The running pgrep or pkill process will never report itself as a match.

BUGS
       The options -n and -o and -v can not be combined.  Let me know  if  you
       need to do this.

       Defunct processes are reported.

SEE ALSO
       ps(1), regex(7), signal(7), killall(1), skill(1), kill(1), kill(2)

AUTHOR
       Kjetil Torgrim Homme <kjetilho@ifi.uio.no>

REPORTING BUGS
       Please send bug reports to <procps@freelists.org>

procps-ng                         2019-03-05                          PGREP(1)