Kill open file

Let's say user john.doe is using the less command to read the file /home/john.doe/example.file.

[root@server1 `]# fuser -v /home/john.doe
                USER      PID   ACCESS COMMAND
/home/john.doe: john.doe  5010  ..c..  less

The -k or --kill option can be used to kill the process.

[root@server1 `]# fuser -k /home/john.doe/example.file
/home/john.doe/example.file: 5010

In john.doe terminal, message "killed" will be displayed.

example.file (END)killed
[john.doe@server1 ~]#

By default, the -k or --kill option will use the kill signal, SIGKILL. The -l or --list-signals option can be used to list the available signals.

[root@server1 `]# fuser -l
HUP INT QUIT ILL TRAP ABRT IOT BUS FPE KILL USR1 SEGV USR2 PIPE ALRM TERM
STKFLT CHLD CONT STOP ISTP TTIN TTOU URG XCPU XFSZ VTALRM PROF WINCH IO PWR SYS
UNUSED

The -SIGNAL option can be used to use the preferred kill signal (replace SIGNAL with the prefer signal). In this example, the hang up (HUP) signal is used.

[root@server1 `]# fuser -k -HUP /home/john.doe/example.file
/home/john.doe/example.file: 5046

In john.doe terminal, message "hangup" will be displayed.

example.file (END)hangup
[john.doe@server1 ~]#

To proceed with caution, the -i or --interactive option can be used to display a prompt before issuing a kill signal.

[root@server1 `]# fuser -k -i /home/john.doe/example.file
Kill process 5099? (y/N)

Kill network connection

Let's say john.doe has made an SSH connection to the server.

[root@server1 `]# fuser -v -n tcp 22
               USER     PID  ACCESS  COMMAND
22/tcp:        john.doe 8815 F....   sshd

The -k or --kill and -n or --namespace option can be used to kill a network connection.

[root@server1 `]# fuser -k -n tcp /home/john.doe/sshd

In john.doe shell, a message such as Server unexpectedly closed network connection will be displayed, and john.doe will lose SSH connection to the server.