Process Management
killall
Send signals to all processes matching a name.
Synopsis
syntax
killall [OPTION]... NAME...
Examples
Terminate all firefox processes
killall firefox
Force kill all node processes
killall -9 node
Interactively kill python3 processes
killall -i -v python3
Force kill all of user1's processes
killall -u user1 -9
Common options
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| -9 | Send SIGKILL |
| -i | Ask for confirmation before killing |
| -v | Report if signal was sent |
| -w | Wait for processes to die |
| -u | Kill only processes owned by user |
About killall
The `killall` command send signals to all processes matching a name. Process management commands let you monitor, control, and schedule running processes.
Linux is a multitasking operating system, and understanding how to list processes, send signals, adjust priorities, and manage background jobs is vital for system administration and debugging performance issues. The command accepts 5 commonly used flags shown above, though the full set of options is available in the man page (`man killall`).
The 4 examples on this page cover typical real-world usage patterns that you can copy and adapt for your own workflows.
Related commands
More Process Management Commands
Other commands in the Process Management category