---
name: "kill.d"
section: "1m"
platform: "macos"
package: "dtrace"
version: "413"
release: "macOS 26.5"
platforms: ["macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/kill.d"
---

# kill.d(1m)

snoop process signals as they occur. Uses DTrace.

## NAME

kill.d - snoop process signals as they occur. Uses DTrace.

## SYNOPSIS

**kill.d**

## DESCRIPTION

kill.d is a simple DTrace program to print details of process  signals as they are sent, such as the PID source and destination,  signal number and result.

This program can be used to determine which process is sending signals to which other process.

Since this uses DTrace, only users with root privileges can run this command.

## EXAMPLES

- Default output, print process signals as they are sent.

  \#  **kill.d**

## FIELDS

- FROM

  source PID

- COMMAND

  source command name

- TO

  destination PID

- SIG

  destination signal ("9" for a kill -9)

- RESULT

  result of signal (-1 is for failure)

## DOCUMENTATION

See the DTraceToolkit for further documentation under the  Docs directory. The DTraceToolkit docs may include full worked examples with verbose descriptions explaining the output.

## EXIT

kill.d will run forever until Ctrl-C is hit.

## AUTHOR

Brendan Gregg \[Sydney, Australia\]

## SEE ALSO

dtrace(1M), [truss(1)](/truss/1.md)