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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
8 months ago	robertgaul03	i have lisa but the force quit button doesn`t work. also if i press ALT+F2, not working. why?
11 months ago	jkotesh	@ThomasB2k Thank you
1 year ago	ThomasB2k	@jkotesh, right click.
1 year 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,,
1 year ago	IslandWolf	Useful tool, easy to follow directions. Well done!
1 year 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.
1 year ago	sdim	Great tool. Many thanks.
1 year ago	Labby	Awesome! Thanks for that.
1 year ago	blueXrider	Nice, can be handy
1 year ago	ivy_s	Very good. Thanks you
1 year ago	sayan_acharjee	Good one!!
2 years ago	noztox	thanks, alternative click right in panel -> click add to panel -> search & click "force quit" -> click add & close
2 years ago	farmer	A lot better than having to reboot.
2 years ago	Tonya	Many thanks!
2 years ago	ianxl	A useful tip. - Thank you! 8~)
2 years ago	pnash1	very handy
2 years ago	jerryclement	Thanks, user from Ubuntu.
2 years ago	itonggant	thanks...
2 years ago	distrohopper	ctrl + alt + esc should also work in KDE
2 years ago	hezy	xkill has a default keyboard shortcut in mint xfce: ctrl + alt + esc
2 years ago	SeventhReign	I've been using gnome-do/Alt-F2 + xkill to do this for forever, but I like this way alot better.
2 years 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!
2 years ago	chamfay	thanks
2 years ago	TheBigGeeUK	Nice tutorial. Thanks for that!
2 years ago	ThomasB2k	You cancel it by right clicking, like it says in the last line of the tutorial.
2 years 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.
2 years ago	ThomasB2k	Yes, but why even take up space on the panel with a force quit button?
2 years ago	hunterm	You don't have to go into the terminal to add a force quit button to the panel. ;) Good tip.
2 years ago	Joeasaurus	Nice, Thanks.
2 years ago	ThomasB2k	I'm happy to help :)
2 years ago	thx1138	Excellent. Thank you.
2 years 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.
2 years ago	Aurimas_St	Because I'm new to linux - this tutorial was helpful. Thank you.

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