When a programme stops responding in Windows, almost users know how to stop it past pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete on their keyboard, pressing the Task Manager option and closing information technology from there. That approach doesn't quite transfer to Linux distributions like Ubuntu, but that doesn't mean that you're short of options when a plan crashes.

On the opposite—at that place are quite a few ways to close a plan on Ubuntu using CMD. If you're comfortable using the final, you tin employ commands like killall or xkill to strength troublesome programs to close, or you can use the System Monitor app instead.

Using The Organization Monitor To Force Close a Running Ubuntu Procedure

While it's easy enough to close an open procedure in Ubuntu using the terminal, beginners might not experience comfortable doing this. But an Ubuntu user doesn't demand to become about the terminal to forcefulness shut a crashed plan—you tin employ the System Monitor app instead.

The System Monitor works a lot like the Task Manager does for Windows PCs. It lists all the running processes on your PC, likewise as giving you real-time data on your CPU, RAM, and disk usage. It also allows y'all to force close any crashed software that won't respond or close direct.

  • To force close a plan in Ubuntu using the Arrangement Monitor, press the Show Applications button at the bottom of the Ubuntu dock. In your Applications list, click on the Organization Monitor icon to launch it.
  • The System Monitor app will launch with the default Processes tab visible—if it doesn't, click on the Processes tab at the meridian. In the processes listing, find and locate the process (or processes) for your crashed program, right-click the entry, and then press the Impale option. Alternatively, select the process and press the Cease Procedure push at the bottom of the System Monitor window.
  • Organisation Monitor volition ask for confirmation that y'all do want to terminate the running process. To confirm, printing the Kill Process button.

If it was successful, the process should disappear from your Arrangement Monitor processes list. If the program had an open window, this window should as well close at this point.

If System Monitor didn't successfully close the program, y'all'll need to endeavour using the terminal instead.

How To Close An Open up Window Using The xkill Command

In nearly cases, the System Monitor software volition forcefully shut a program on Ubuntu. If information technology doesn't, and then you'll need to switch to the last to shut any non-responding programs.

Thankfully, in that location's an easy-to-apply control chosen xkill that will permit you to forcefully close any programme with an open window.

  • Most modern versions of Ubuntu should come up with the xkill bundle installed merely, if you lot detect it isn't installed, you lot'll demand to install xkill first earlier you can use it. Open a terminal and type sudo apt install xorg-xkill to exercise this. In one case it's installed, simply blazon xkill or sudo xkill to begin using it.
  • The terminal output will tell you lot to select the window whose client you wish to kill with button one. In other words, use your mouse to click on an open window—xkill will shut this for you. Once killed, the final output will answer with a killing creator bulletin earlier ending.

This volition but work for programs that are visibly not responding, including any programs with a GUI window that y'all can interact with.

Forcefully Endmost a Programme on Ubuntu Using pkill, kill Or killall Commands

Using xkill requires yous to be using Ubuntu with a GUI. If you're running a headless version of Ubuntu without a GUI installed, such as Ubuntu Server, and then yous'll demand to use the pkill, kill or killall commands instead.

The impale and pkill commands will terminate whatever single process running on your PC, while killall volition kill all related processes. Some programs (such equally Google Chrome) apply multiple arrangement processes, and so using kill or pkill may not necessarily end them if the program stops responding.

  • To use kill, you'll need to know the procedure id number (PID) assigned to it—open a terminal and blazon elevation to view a list of currently running processes. You'll observe the process id number under the PID cavalcade and the name of the process/programme under the Command cavalcade.
  • To finish a concluding using kill, blazon kill pid, replacing pid with your process id (for instance, impale 582). If it doesn't work, type sudo kill pid instead. A successful procedure termination shouldn't result in any extra terminal output, simply you lot can blazon top again to double-bank check.
  • The pkill command doesn't crave a procedure id number, merely information technology does require the package name. Yous can check this using top outset under the Control column. One time you're set, blazon pkill process, replacing process with the parcel name (or sudo pkill process if the process won't cease). As with kill, a successful pkill command volition return no messages or output.
  • If a plan has multiple processes, you lot can use the killall command to terminate them all at once. Similar pkill, this uses the package name—use peak to find this under the Command cavalcade. To use killall, blazon killall process or sudo killall process, replacing process with the package proper noun. Similar pkill, no letters will be returned at the terminal if the command is a success.

Effective Ubuntu Maintenance

Even when running software stops responding, Ubuntu gives you lot the tools to stay in control. Now you know how to close a process in Ubuntu using the concluding, you can take advantage of other cool Linux terminal commands to backup your PC, pause running commands rather than ending them, and more.

A crashing program should be a rare occurrence, but if information technology's happening more oft than it should, it could point to a problem with your Ubuntu installation. You'll demand to look into some of the common reasons for Ubuntu crashes to (hopefully) resolve your issues.