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You try to stop a stubborn process with kill -15 5678 but it keeps running. What is the best fix?

medium📝 Debug Q14 of 15
Linux CLI - Process Management
You try to stop a stubborn process with kill -15 5678 but it keeps running. What is the best fix?
AUse <code>kill -1 5678</code> to send SIGHUP
BRestart the system to clear the process
CUse <code>kill -9 5678</code> to force kill immediately
DUse <code>kill 5678</code> without signal
Step-by-Step Solution
Solution:

  1. Step 1: Understand why SIGTERM might fail

    SIGTERM (signal 15) asks process to stop nicely, but some processes ignore or handle it differently.

  2. Step 2: Use SIGKILL to force stop

    SIGKILL (signal 9) forces immediate termination and cannot be ignored. Using kill -9 is the best fix for stubborn processes.

  3. Final Answer:

    Use kill -9 5678 to force kill immediately -> Option C

  4. Quick Check:

    kill -9 forces stop when SIGTERM fails [OK]
Quick Trick: If kill -15 fails, try kill -9 to force stop [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Using kill without signal defaults to SIGTERM
  • Using SIGHUP does not force stop
  • Restarting system is last resort, not first

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