Sometimes, you may need to interrupt a command that is running in the MacOS Terminal, for example, if the command is taking too long to execute or if you need to stop the command for some other reason. In this guide, we will outline a few methods to interrupt command execution in MacOS Terminal.
Method 1: Use the Control+C Shortcut
The most common way to interrupt a command in MacOS Terminal is to use the Control+C shortcut. When a command is running, press the Control+C keys on your keyboard. This will send a SIGINT signal to the running command, causing it to stop executing immediately.
Method 2: Use the Control+Z Shortcut
If you want to temporarily suspend a running command, you can use the Control+Z shortcut. When a command is running, press the Control+Z keys on your keyboard. This will send a SIGTSTP signal to the running command, causing it to suspend execution. You can resume the command later by typing the “fg” command.
Method 3: Use the kill Command
If the Control+C or Control+Z shortcuts do not work for some reason, you can use the kill command to forcefully terminate a running command. To do this, you will first need to find the process ID (PID) of the running command using the ps command. Once you have the PID, you can use the kill command with the PID to terminate the process. For example, to terminate a process with a PID of 1234, run the following command:
kill 1234
Conclusion:
In this guide, we have outlined a few methods to interrupt command execution in MacOS Terminal. By following these steps, you can stop a running command when necessary, either by forcefully terminating it or by temporarily suspending it. If you encounter any issues while trying to interrupt a command, feel free to comment or suggest improvements.
