XKILL(1)                                                 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 function-
       ality in this case is the same as kill(1).

       When the command xkill is  invoked  with  an  username  as
       argument,  it attempts to locate the specified user on the
       local host.  If the user is logged on,  the  signal  ECUTE
       (electrocute,  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 scan-
       ning the news spool area.  When the  user  is  located,  a
       connection is attempted with the appropriate host, and the
       ECUTE (electrocute, 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  pro-
       gram  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 signatures, 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  electro-
       cuted next time he post news.

FILES
       /etc/passwd         to  keep  track  of  users  marked for
                           electrocution

       /etc/hosts          list of remote hosts



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XKILL(1)                                                 XKILL(1)


       /usr/spool/news     news spool directory; the  news  arti-
                           cles 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.









































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