Tell me more ×
Super User is a question and answer site for computer enthusiasts and power users. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 6 down vote favorite
2

Does Linux have a CTRL+ALT+DEL equivalent?

share|improve this question
CTRL+ALT+DEL can do many things on Windows? Are you looking for a process manager? – BloodPhilia Sep 28 '10 at 14:00
This varies a great deal by what kind of system you are using. What distribution/desktop environment/window manager do you use? – Daenyth Sep 28 '10 at 14:19

migrated from stackoverflow.com Sep 28 '10 at 13:57

7 Answers

up vote 11 down vote

X can be killed using Ctrl+Aal+BackSpace, and if you hit Ctrl+Alt+F1 (or F2 through 6), you'll be dropped to a virtual console where you can type commands to kill the bad app. To switch back to the GUI, hit Ctrl+Alt+F7.

share|improve this answer
2  
+1 Valid on some distros. – karlphillip Sep 28 '10 at 13:55
Might need to hit Alt+SysRq+R before you can use Ctrl+Alt+F1, if the keyboard is stuck in some strange mode. – Eroen Mar 30 '12 at 15:44
up vote 5 down vote

Under GNU/Linux [at least those based on the SystemV init style], the behavior of ctrl+alt+del relies on the configuration file /etc/inittab where you should be able to read a line like:

<id>::ctrlaltdel:/sbin/shutdown -t3 -r now

(example from an ArchLinux distribution) which means that the system will be shutdown when it receives the key combination. But you may want to do something else, like*:

<id>::ctrlaltdel:/usb/bin/sudo make me a sandwich

(which is much more useful :)

share|improve this answer
2  
make: *** No rule to make target `me'. Stop. – Eroen Mar 30 '12 at 15:47
up vote 2 down vote

Yes, however the action it takes depends on desktop manager configurations. In KDE it shows a dialog for which you can choose if restart or halt the system.

share|improve this answer
up vote 2 down vote

In the Linux console, by default in most distributions, Ctrl+Alt+Del behaves as in the MS-DOS - it restarts the system.

In the GUI, Ctrl+Alt+Backspace will kill the current X server and start a new one, thus behaving like the SAK sequence in Windows (Ctrl+Alt+Del).

share|improve this answer
up vote 1 down vote

In gnome, there's a feature called "Keyboard Shortcuts" that lets you customize keyboard shortcuts.

The process manager for Gnome is called gnome-system-monitor, so if you go to: - System; - Preferences; - Keyboard Shortcuts and add gnome-system-monitor as CTRL+ALT+DEL it should work for you :)

share|improve this answer
up vote 1 down vote

REISUB would be the closest equivalent. Magic SysRq keys are the only way of emulating traditional Windows / DOS hard-resets in Linux / UNIX.

For a Program Manager-like interface, use top and hit 'k' for 'k'ill.

Ctrl+Alt+Backspace is disabled by default in X Servers > 1.6 (although some distros re-enable it in the config files that they ship). Although it doesn't do what Windows Ctrl+Alt+Del does in general killing X and fixing misbehaving programs is preferred over restarting the machine.

share|improve this answer
+1 for magic SysRq-keys. They have been handy many times in the past. – Daniel Andersson Mar 30 '12 at 17:50
up vote 0 down vote

Yes, they are the same keys as on Ubuntu but they may vary according to your distribution.

share|improve this answer
That's not true. This will mostly reboot the window manager, not open up a task manager. – slhck♦ Jul 18 '12 at 0:50

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.