Linux killall Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to killall on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including killing all processes by name, process termination, and batch process management.

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Table of Contents

1. Understanding killall
2. killall Basics
3. Killing Processes
4. Signal Options
5. Troubleshooting

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Understanding killall

What is killall?

killall kills all processes by name.

Uses:

• Kill all: Kill all processes with name
• Process management: Manage processes
• Batch termination: Terminate multiple processes
• Process cleanup: Clean up processes

Why it matters:

• Convenience: Kill all instances
• Process management: Manage processes
• Cleanup: Clean up processes

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killall Basics

Kill All Processes

Basic usage:

# Kill all processes by name
killall process-name

# Sends TERM signal (default)

Interactive Mode

Confirm before kill:

# Interactive mode
killall -i process-name

# -i = interactive (asks for confirmation)

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Killing Processes

Force Kill

Force termination:

# Force kill
killall -9 process-name

# -9 = KILL signal

Wait for Completion

Wait for processes:

# Wait for processes to die
killall -w process-name

# -w = wait (waits for processes to terminate)

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Signal Options

Send Signal

Specify signal:

# Send specific signal
killall -TERM process-name

# -TERM = terminate signal
killall -HUP process-name

# -HUP = hangup signal

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Troubleshooting

Permission Denied

Use sudo:

# Kill other user's processes
sudo killall process-name

# Or
sudo killall -9 process-name

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Summary

This guide covered killall usage, process termination, and batch process management for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.

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Next Steps

• kill Guide - Kill by PID
• pkill Guide - Kill by pattern
• Process Management - Process management
• killall Documentation: man killall

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.