XKILL(1)                 USER COMMANDS                   XKILL(1)



NAME
     xkill - extended kill - kill processes or  users,  including
     Usenet posters.

SYNOPSIS
     xkill [-signal] pid ...
     xkill -l
     xkill username[@host] ...
     xkill -u [-qs] [-p] [newsgroup]

DESCRIPTION
     xkill sends a signal to a process or a terminal.  The  first
     two  forms send a signal to a process.  The functionality in
     this case is the same as kill(1).

     When the command xkill is invoked with an username as  argu-
     ment,  it attempts to locate the specified user on the local
     host.  If the user is logged on, the signal ECUTE  (electro-
     cute,  666) is sent to the user's terminal.  This will cause
     the keyboard to electrocute the user.  If the  user  is  not
     logged  on,  the appropriate line of the file /etc/passwd is
     marked.  The first time the user logs on the ECUTE signal is
     sent to the terminal he is using.

     When the command xkill is invoked with a remote username, in
     the  form  user@host,  a  connection with the remote host is
     attempted (see xkilld(8)), to send the ECUTE signal  to  the
     user's terminal.

USENET KILL
     The -u (Usenet) option is an extension  of  the  concept  of
     KILL file.

     The program will attempt to locate a remote user by scanning
     the news spool area.  When the user is located, a connection
     is attempted with the appropriate host, and the ECUTE (elec-
     trocute,  666)  signal is sent to the appropriate user.  The
     search only considers one newsgroup.  If none is  specified,
     rec.humor  is  assumed  by default.  The program attempts to
     locate people whose signature is too long, and who  quote  a
     whole  article  in  order  to comment on a single line.  The
     option -s can be used to consider only the  size  of  signa-
     tures,  while the option -q can be used to consider only the
     size of the quotations.  The option -qs corresponds  to  the
     default.

     When the -p (post) switch is used, the user is  electrocuted
     next time he post news.

FILES
     /etc/passwd         to keep track of users marked for  elec-
                         trocution



Sun Release 4.1           Last change:                          1






XKILL(1)                 USER COMMANDS                   XKILL(1)



     /etc/hosts          list of remote hosts

     /usr/spool/news     news spool directory; the news  articles
                         are stored here

SEE ALSO
     kill(1), telnet(1c), xkilld(8)

BUGS
     To kill a remote user, it is sometimes  better  to  use  the
     command  telnet(1c)  using  the standard xkilld port (number
     666).  When the connection is  attempted  by  xkill(1)  some
     gateways will explode after the user is electrocuted.

     To decide what is a quotation, and what is  a  signature,  a
     very  complicated  pattern  matching is used.  This does not
     always work, even if the  program  hasn't  yet  electrocuted
     somebody who is not guilty of bandwidth waste.





































Sun Release 4.1           Last change:                          2