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 electro-
                      cution
    /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.