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

# shutdown(8)

Halt, power off or reboot the machine

## NAME

shutdown - Halt, power off or reboot the machine

## SYNOPSIS

**shutdown** \[OPTIONS...\] \[TIME\] \[WALL...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**shutdown** may be used to halt, power off, or reboot the machine.

The first argument may be a time string (which is usually "now"). Optionally, this may be followed by a wall message to be sent to all logged-in users before going down.

The time string may either be in the format "hh:mm" for hour/minutes specifying the time to execute the shutdown at, specified in 24h clock format. Alternatively it may be in the syntax "+m" referring to the specified number of minutes m from now. "now" is an alias for "+0", i.e. for triggering an immediate shutdown. If no time argument is specified, "+1" is implied.

The time string specifies the earliest point in time the shutdown may take place; it is a lower bound only: the shutdown is executed as soon as possible, but not before the specified time. Specifying a time that already elapsed (for example an "hh:mm" time earlier today) is not an error and results in an immediate shutdown. See the discussion of **--when=** in [**systemctl**(1)](/systemctl/1.md) for details.

Note that to specify a wall message you must specify a time argument, too.

If the time argument is used, 5 minutes before the system goes down the /run/nologin file is created to ensure that further logins shall not be allowed.

## OPTIONS

The following options are understood:

- **--help**

  Print a short help text and exit.

- **-H**, **--halt**

  Halt the machine.

- **-P**, **--poweroff**

  Power the machine off (the default).

- **-r**, **--reboot**

  Reboot the machine.

- **-h**

  The same as **--poweroff**, but does not override the action to take if it is "halt". E.g. **shutdown --reboot -h** means "poweroff", but **shutdown --halt -h** means "halt".

- **-k**

  Do not halt, power off, or reboot, but just write the wall message.

- **--no-wall**

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

- **-c**

  Cancel a pending shutdown. This may be used to cancel the effect of an invocation of **shutdown** with a time argument that is not "+0" or "now".

- **--show**

  Show a pending shutdown action and time if there is any.

  Added in version 250.

## EXIT STATUS

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

## COMPATIBILITY

The  **shutdown** command in previous init systems (including sysvinit) defaulted to single-user mode instead of powering off the machine. To change into single-user mode, use **systemctl rescue** instead.

## SEE ALSO

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