How to use the command 'pueue kill' (with examples)

The ‘pueue kill’ command is a part of the Pueue task manager, an alternative for the built-in task manager in the shell. This command is used to kill running tasks or whole groups. It provides various options to selectively kill tasks and control the behavior of the termination process.

Use case 1: Kill all tasks in the default group

Code:

pueue kill

Motivation: Killing all tasks in the default group can be helpful when you want to stop all running tasks and clear the queue in one go. This may be necessary, for example, when you need to free up system resources or when you want to start fresh with a new set of tasks.

Explanation:

• pueue kill: Kills all tasks in the default group.
• No additional arguments required.

Example output:

Killing all running tasks in the default group.

Tasks in group 'default' killed:
 - Task ID: 1
 - Task ID: 2

2 tasks killed in total.

Use case 2: Kill a specific task

Code:

pueue kill task_id

Motivation: Killing a specific task can be useful when you want to immediately stop a particular task that is currently running. This may be necessary, for example, if the task is taking too long to complete or if it is causing issues that need to be resolved.

Explanation:

• pueue kill task_id: Kills the task with the specified task_id.
• Replace ’task_id’ with the actual ID of the task you want to kill.

Example output:

Killing task with ID 3.

Task with ID 3 killed successfully.

Use case 3: Kill a task and terminate all its child processes

Code:

pueue kill --children task_id

Motivation: Killing a task and terminating all its child processes can be necessary when you want to ensure that any processes spawned by the main task are also stopped. This is particularly useful when dealing with tasks that have multiple subprocesses or when you want to prevent any orphans.

Explanation:

• pueue kill --children task_id: Kills the task with the specified task_id and terminates all its child processes.
• Replace ’task_id’ with the actual ID of the task you want to kill.

Example output:

Killing task with ID 4 and terminating all its child processes.

Task with ID 4 and its child processes killed successfully.

Use case 4: Kill all tasks in a group and pause the group

Code:

pueue kill --group group_name

Motivation: Killing all tasks in a group and pausing the group can be useful when you want to temporarily halt the execution of multiple related tasks. This is helpful in scenarios where you want to focus on other tasks in different groups or when you need to resolve issues specific to the tasks in the paused group.

Explanation:

• pueue kill --group group_name: Kills all tasks in the group with the specified group_name and pauses the group.
• Replace ‘group_name’ with the actual name of the group you want to kill and pause.

Example output:

Killing all tasks in the group 'docs' and pausing the group.

Tasks in group 'docs' killed:
 - Task ID: 5

1 task killed in total.

Group 'docs' paused successfully.

Use case 5: Kill all tasks across all groups and pause all groups

Code:

pueue kill --all

Motivation: Killing all tasks across all groups and pausing all groups can be necessary when you want to stop the execution of all tasks and temporarily suspend all groups. This is helpful when you want to perform system maintenance, take a break from tasks, or troubleshoot issues across multiple groups.

Explanation:

• pueue kill --all: Kills all tasks across all groups and pauses all groups.
• No additional arguments required.

Example output:

Killing all running tasks and pausing all groups.

Tasks in group 'default' killed:
 - Task ID: 6
 - Task ID: 7

Tasks in group 'docs' killed:
 - Task ID: 8

3 tasks killed in total.

Group 'default' paused successfully.
Group 'docs' paused successfully.

Conclusion:

The ‘pueue kill’ command provides a flexible way to kill running tasks or whole groups in the Pueue task manager. By using different options and arguments, you can selectively terminate tasks, control child processes, and pause groups as needed. This command is especially useful when managing a large number of tasks in parallel and ensures efficient task management and resource utilization.