How to stop a subprocess? (Python)

Question

I have tried both terminate() and kill() but both have failed to stop a subprocess I start in my python code.

Is there any other way?

On Windows with Python 2.7

I have also tried the following with no results...

os.kill(p.pid, signal.SIGTERM)

and

import ctypes
PROCESS_TERMINATE = 1
handle = ctypes.windll.kernel32.OpenProcess(PROCESS_TERMINATE, False, theprocess.pid)
ctypes.windll.kernel32.TerminateProcess(handle, -1)
ctypes.windll.kernel32.CloseHandle(handle)

Is this subprocess a shell script that starts other processes? I have a similar issue documented here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6102535/python-how-to-determine-subprocess-children-have-all-finished-running — pokstad, Jun 27 '11 at 03:34
Are you using `shell=True` in the call to `subprocess.Popen()`? — Greg Hewgill, Jun 27 '11 at 03:46
Using TerminateProcess is bad. You sure that the process is still running when you try to kill it? — Cat Plus Plus, Jun 27 '11 at 03:46

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 27 '11 at 05:19

0

You could use the os.system('taskkill') here:http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/taskkill.mspx?mfr=true

answered Jun 27 '11 at 05:19

P'sao

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score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 31 '21 at 17:01

Try using psutil, or another way to remotely kill the process itself (psutil is cross platform so the code is nicer):

p = psutil.Process(pid)
p.terminate()  #or p.kill()

Code taken from How to terminate process from Python using pid?.

Note that if using shell=True, the PID is of the shell and not any process it spawned. To kill a subprocess with shell=True you may look at How to terminate a python subprocess launched with shell=True

How to stop a subprocess? (Python)

2 Answers2