---
name: "poweroff"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "systemd-sysvcompat"
version: "262.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/poweroff"
---

# poweroff(8)

Power off, reboot, or halt the machine

## NAME

poweroff, reboot, halt - Power off, reboot, or halt the machine

## SYNOPSIS

**poweroff** \[OPTIONS...\]

**reboot** \[OPTIONS...\]

**halt** \[OPTIONS...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**poweroff**, **reboot**, and **halt** may be used to power off, reboot, or halt the machine. All three commands take the same options.

## OPTIONS

The following options are understood:

- **--help**

  Print a short help text and exit.

  Added in version 253.

- **--halt**

  Halt the machine, regardless of which one of the three commands is invoked.

  Added in version 253.

- **-p**, **--poweroff**

  Power off the machine, when either **halt** or **poweroff** is invoked. This option is ignored when **reboot** is invoked.

  Added in version 253.

- **--reboot**

  Reboot the machine, regardless of which one of the three commands is invoked.

  Added in version 253.

- **-f**, **--force**

  Force immediate power-off, halt, or reboot. If specified, the command does not contact the init system. In most cases, filesystems are not properly unmounted before shutdown. For example, the command **reboot -f** is mostly equivalent to **systemctl reboot -ff**, instead of **systemctl reboot -f**.

  Added in version 253.

- **-w**, **--wtmp-only**

  Only write wtmp shutdown entry, do not actually power off, reboot, or halt.

  Added in version 253.

- **-d**, **--no-wtmp**

  Do not write wtmp shutdown entry.

  Added in version 253.

- **-n**, **--no-sync**

  Do not sync hard disks/storage media before power-off, reboot, or halt.

  Added in version 253.

- **--no-wall**

  Do not send wall message before power-off, reboot, or halt.

  Added in version 253.

## EXIT STATUS

On success, 0 is returned, a non-zero failure code otherwise.

## NOTES

These commands are implemented in a way that preserves basic compatibility with the original SysV commands. [**systemctl**(1)](/systemctl/1.md) verbs **poweroff**, **reboot**, **halt** provide the same functionality with some additional features.

Note that on many SysV systems **halt** used to be synonymous to **poweroff**, i.e. both commands would equally result in powering the machine off. systemd is more accurate here, and **halt** results in halting the machine only (leaving power on), and **poweroff** is required to actually power it off.

## SEE ALSO

[**systemd**(1)](/systemd/1.md), [**systemctl**(1)](/systemctl/1.md), [**shutdown**(8)](/shutdown/8.md), [**wall**(1)](/wall/1.md)