Windows PowerShell Stop-Process equivalent in Linux
Requests that a process exit or forcefully terminates it when necessary.
PowerShell Stop-Process
kill PID
kill PID
kill PID
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "PowerShell Stop-Process" is used to stop a process. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "kill PID". Requests that a process exit or forcefully terminates it when necessary. This reference is grouped under PowerShell Equivalents → Processes.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows PowerShell Stop-Process maps to kill PID for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
Command-specific caution
Killing the wrong process can end your session or destabilize services. Verify the PID and process owner first.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read PowerShell vs Bash.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Stop a process
Requests that a process exit or forcefully terminates it when necessary.
kill 1234
Request a graceful stop
pkill firefox
Stop processes by name
kill -KILL 1234
Force termination
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
kill 1234
pkill firefox
kill -KILL 1234
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
kill 1234 # stop one process gracefully
pkill firefox # stop processes matching a name
kill -KILL 1234 # force a process to endReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
kill 1234 | Request a graceful stop |
pkill firefox | Stop processes by name |
kill -KILL 1234 | Force termination |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "kill PID" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | kill PID |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | kill PID |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | kill PID |
Same command on this distribution. |
Important
What to watch out for
Keep learning