XKILL(1) X Version 11 (Release 6.6) 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
connections 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.
XDEFAULTS
Page 1 (printed 7/20/06)
XKILL(1) X Version 11 (Release 6.6) XKILL(1)
Button Specifies a specific pointer button number or the
word "any" to use when selecting windows.
SEE ALSO
X(1), 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
Page 2 (printed 7/20/06)
