| Short | Long | Argument(s) | |
-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 processes. When count does not match anything, e.g. returns zero, the command will return non-zero value. Note that for pkill and pidwait, the count is the number of matching processes, not the processes that were successfully signaled or waited for. |
-d | --delimiter | delimiter | Sets the string used to delimit each process ID in the output (by default a newline). (pgrep only.) |
-e | --echo | | Display name and PID of the process being killed. (pkill 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, pkill's, or pidwait'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. |
-O | --older | | secs Select processes older than secs. |
-P | --parent | ppid,… | Only match processes whose parent process ID is listed. |
-s | --session | sid,… | Only match processes whose process session ID is listed. Session ID 0 is translated into pgrep's, pkill's, or pidwait'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 or pidwait'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 or pidwait's context. In pkill's context this option is disabled. |
-x | --exact | | Only match processes whose names (or command lines if -f is specified) exactly match the pattern. |
-F | --pidfile | file | Read PIDs from file. This option is more useful for pkillorpidwait 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. |
-q | --queue | value | Use sigqueue(3) rather than kill(2) and the value argument is used to specify an integer to be sent with the signal. If the receiving process has installed a handler for this signal using the SA_SIGINFO flag to sigaction(2) , then it can obtain this data via the si_value field of the siginfo_t structure. |
-V | --version | | Display version information and exit. |
-h | --help | | Display help and exit. |