Method: Process.kill

Defined in:
process.c

.kill(signal, pid, ...) ⇒ Fixnum

Sends the given signal to the specified process id(s), or to the current process if pid is zero. signal may be an integer signal number or a POSIX signal name (either with or without a SIG prefix). If signal is negative (or starts with a minus sign), kills process groups instead of processes. Not all signals are available on all platforms.

pid = fork do
   Signal.trap("HUP") { puts "Ouch!"; exit }
   # ... do some work ...
end
# ...
Process.kill("HUP", pid)
Process.wait

produces:

Ouch!

If signal is an integer but wrong for signal, Errno::EINVAL or RangeError will be raised. Otherwise unless signal is a String or a Symbol, and a known signal name, ArgumentError will be raised.

Also, Errno::ESRCH or RangeError for invalid pid, Errno::EPERM when failed because of no privilege, will be raised. In these cases, signals may have been sent to preceding processes.

Returns:




# File 'process.c'

VALUE
rb_f_kill(int argc, VALUE *argv)
{
#ifndef HAS_KILLPG
#define killpg(pg, sig) kill(-(pg), (sig))
#endif
   int negative = 0;
   int sig;
   int i;
   volatile VALUE str;
   const char *s;

   rb_secure(2);
   if (argc < 2)
rb_raise(rb_eArgError, "wrong number of arguments (%d for at least 2)", argc);
   switch (TYPE(argv[0])) {
     case T_FIXNUM:
sig = FIX2INT(argv[0]);
break;

     case T_SYMBOL:
s = rb_id2name(SYM2ID(argv[0]));
if (!s) rb_raise(rb_eArgError, "bad signal");
goto str_signal;

     case T_STRING:
s = RSTRING_PTR(argv[0]);
     str_signal:
if (s[0] == '-') {
    negative++;
    s++;
}