XKILL(1) UNIX Programmer's Manual XKILL(1)
NAME
xkill - kill a client by its X resource
SYNOPSIS
xkill [-display displayname] [-id resource] [-button number]
[-frame] [-all]
DESCRIPTION
Xkill is a utility for forcing the X server to close connec-
tions to clients. This program is very dangerous, but is
useful for aborting programs that have displayed undesired
windows on a user's screen. If no resource identifier is
given with -id, xkill will display a special cursor as a
prompt for the user to select a window to be killed. If a
pointer button is pressed over a non-root window, the server
will close its connection to the client that created the
window.
OPTIONS
-display displayname
This option specifies the name of the X server to
contact.
-id resource
This option specifies the X identifier for the
resource whose creator is to be aborted. If no
resource is specified, xkill will display a special
cursor with which you should select a window to be
kill.
-button number
This option specifies the number of pointer button
that should be used in selecting a window to kill.
If the word "any" is specified, any button on the
pointer may be used. By default, the first button
in the pointer map (which is usually the leftmost
button) is used.
-all This option indicates that all clients with top-
level windows on the screen should be killed. Xkill
will ask you to select the root window with each of
the currently defined buttons to give you several
chances to abort. Use of this option is highly
discouraged.
-frame This option indicates that xkill should ignore the
standard conventions for finding top-level client
windows (which are typically nested inside a window
manager window), and simply believe that you want to
kill direct children of the root.
XFree86 Version 4.5.0 1
XKILL(1) UNIX Programmer's Manual XKILL(1)
CAVEATS
This command does not provide any warranty that the applica-
tion whose connection to the X server is closed will abort
nicely, or even abort at all. All this command does is to
close the connection to the X server. Many existing applica-
tions do indeed abort when their connection to the X server
is closed, but some can choose to continue.
XDEFAULTS
Button Specifies a specific pointer button number or the
word "any" to use when selecting windows.
SEE ALSO
X(7), xwininfo(1), XKillClient and XGetPointerMapping in the
Xlib Programmers Manual, KillClient in the X Protocol
Specification
AUTHOR
Jim Fulton, MIT X Consortium
Dana Chee, Bellcore
XFree86 Version 4.5.0 2