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ThomasB2k

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 Force Quit Keyboard Shortcut

When you’re using Linux with the GNOME UI, don’t you hate it when you have to go into the terminal or add the force quit button to the panel just so you can exit an unresponsive program? In this very quick tutorial, I’m going to show you how you can assign the force quit command to a key, so when a program stops working, you can close it with the press of a button and a click of the mouse.

First, open up your GNOME menu and go to System > Preferences> Keyboard Shortcuts.

Second, click “Add” and a window should come up with 2 text boxes, labeled “Name” and “Command.” In Name, type “Force Quit” and in the Command box, type “xkill” and press Apply.

Scroll down to Custom Shortcuts in the Keyboard Shortcuts window and you’ll see Force Quit on the left side and Disabled on the right side. Click on Disabled once, and press a combination of keys on your keyboard. I used the Super (Windows logo) key and Escape, but you can use whatever you want, just as long as it doesn’t conflict any of your other shortcuts. Now Disabled will be changed to whatever keys you pressed.

Close out of the Keyboard Shortcuts window and you’re done! When ever you press your key combination, your cursor will change to crosshairs, or a skull and bones, or at least something different than just the arrow. Whatever window you click on will be forced to close, killing all of it’s processes.

If you find yourself to have accidentally pressed your force quit keys, then just right click and it’ll close out of the force quit mode.

Comments
1 month ago	ThomasB2k	@jkotesh, right click.
1 month ago	jkotesh	how to cancel the command once the combination is pressed, as this one is really useful but at times it annoys when entered the combinattion and there is nothing that i can exit,,,which irritates me, so i click on taskbar,, which comes back after restart,,, and doesn't hurt me,,
5 months ago	IslandWolf	Useful tool, easy to follow directions. Well done!
6 months ago	aspir8or	Thanks. I had previously added hotkeys to the "Switch to workplace" options (8 workplaces) but I didn't know about xkill. Nice keyboard alternative to the "Force quit" button you can add to the panel.
6 months ago	sdim	Great tool. Many thanks.
8 months ago	compuman2004	Excellent tool. Great job. Easy to follow and easy to do.
9 months ago	Labby	Awesome! Thanks for that.
9 months ago	blueXrider	Nice, can be handy
9 months ago	ivy_s	Very good. Thanks you
10 months ago	sayan_acharjee	Good one!!
1 year ago	noztox	thanks, alternative click right in panel -> click add to panel -> search & click "force quit" -> click add & close
1 year ago	farmer	A lot better than having to reboot.
1 year ago	Tonya	Many thanks!
1 year ago	ianxl	A useful tip. - Thank you! 8~)
1 year ago	pnash1	very handy
1 year ago	jerryclement	Thanks, user from Ubuntu.
1 year ago	itonggant	thanks...
1 year ago	distrohopper	ctrl + alt + esc should also work in KDE
1 year ago	hezy	xkill has a default keyboard shortcut in mint xfce: ctrl + alt + esc
1 year ago	SeventhReign	I've been using gnome-do/Alt-F2 + xkill to do this for forever, but I like this way alot better.
1 year ago	ddavid123	Back in days when I used Mandrake 9.1, I used this feature. But in the last 4-5 years, it has disappeared! Thanks for the tutorial!
1 year ago	chamfay	thanks
1 year ago	TheBigGeeUK	Nice tutorial. Thanks for that!
1 year ago	ThomasB2k	You cancel it by right clicking, like it says in the last line of the tutorial.
1 year ago	DragonTrainer	The only problem I see with this is the fact that when you press the combination, you can't cancel the command. You must to click in something to kill it; if you press ESC or the combination again, the system still asks for something to kill. That doesnt means that this is bad or useless; I've already added it to the shortcuts (in my case with Super+K) in case of emergency.
1 year ago	ThomasB2k	Yes, but why even take up space on the panel with a force quit button?
1 year ago	hunterm	You don't have to go into the terminal to add a force quit button to the panel. ;) Good tip.
1 year ago	Joeasaurus	Nice, Thanks.
1 year ago	ThomasB2k	I'm happy to help :)
1 year ago	thx1138	Excellent. Thank you.
1 year ago	choneycutt5000	I've been using Gnome for a couple of years now and it never occurred to me that I could do this. Great tip, thanks.
1 year ago	Aurimas_St	Because I'm new to linux - this tutorial was helpful. Thank you.

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