# skill - send a signal or report process status - man(1) - [phpMan]

[_SKILL_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/SKILL/1/markdown)                                    User Commands                                   [_SKILL_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/SKILL/1/markdown)

## NAME
       skill, snice - send a signal or report process status

## SYNOPSIS
       **skill **[_signal_] [_options_] _expression_
       **snice **[_new_ _priority_] [_options_] _expression_

## DESCRIPTION
       These tools are obsolete and unportable.  The command syntax is poorly defined.  Consider us‐
       ing the **killall**, **pkill**, and **pgrep **commands instead.

       The  default signal for **skill **is TERM.  Use **-l **or **-L **to list available signals.  Particularly
       useful signals include HUP, INT, KILL, STOP, CONT, and 0.  Alternate signals may be specified
       in three ways: **-9 -SIGKILL -KILL**.

       The default priority for **snice **is +4.  Priority numbers  range  from  +20  (slowest)  to  -20
       (fastest).  Negative priority numbers are restricted to administrative users.

## OPTIONS
### -f --fast
              Fast mode.  This option has not been implemented.

### -i --interactive
              Interactive use.  You will be asked to approve each action.

### -l --list
              List all signal names.

### -L --table
              List all signal names in a nice table.

### -n --no-action
              No  action; perform a simulation of events that would occur but do not actually change
              the system.

### -v --verbose
              Verbose; explain what is being done.

### -w --warnings
              Enable warnings.  This option has not been implemented.

### -h --help
              Display help text and exit.

### -V --version
              Display version information.

## PROCESS SELECTION OPTIONS
       Selection criteria can be: terminal, user, pid, command.  The options below may  be  used  to
       ensure correct interpretation.

### -t --tty _
              The next expression is a terminal (tty or pty).

### -u --user _
              The next expression is a username.

### -p --pid _
              The next expression is a process ID number.

### -c --command _
              The next expression is a command name.

       **--ns _**pid_
              Match the processes that belong to the same namespace as pid.

       **--nslist _**ns_,_..._
              list  which  namespaces will be considered for the **--ns **option.  Available namespaces:
              ipc, mnt, net, pid, user, uts.

## SIGNALS
       The behavior of signals is explained in [**signal**(7)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/signal/7/markdown) manual page.

## EXAMPLES
### snice -c seti -c crack +7
              +Slow down **seti **and **crack **commands.

       **skill -KILL -t /dev/pts/***
              Kill users on PTY devices.

### skill -STOP -u viro -u lm -u davem
              Stop three users.

## SEE ALSO
       [**kill**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/kill/1/markdown), [**kill**(2)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/kill/2/markdown), [**killall**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/killall/1/markdown), [**nice**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/nice/1/markdown), [**pkill**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pkill/1/markdown), [**renice**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/renice/1/markdown), [**signal**(7)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/signal/7/markdown)

## STANDARDS
       No standards apply.

## AUTHOR
       [Albert Cahalan](mailto:<albert@users.sf.net>) wrote skill and snice in 1999 as a replacement for a non-free version.

## REPORTING BUGS
       Please send bug reports to [<procps@freelists.org>](<procps@freelists.org>)

procps-ng                                    2023-08-19                                     [_SKILL_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/SKILL/1/markdown)