How to stop a process on a port with NotchStar
To stop a server on a port, open Disk, then Monitor, then Ports. Press Stop on its row. The button turns red and reads Stop?. Press it again to confirm. NotchStar then sends the process a SIGTERM, which is a normal request to quit.
Steps
- Find the row. The filter box takes a port, project or command.
- Check the project and the command on the row so you are sure what it is.
- Press Stop. Nothing is sent yet.
- Press Stop? to confirm. The header shows Asked (name) to quit.
If you press a different row, or do nothing, the first press is not carried over to the new row. Confirmation belongs to one row at a time.
What it does and does not do
- It sends SIGTERM only. It never sends SIGKILL, so a program that ignores the request keeps running.
- It signals a single process ID, the one that owns the listening port. Child processes it started may carry on, depending on the program.
- It works on your own processes. If macOS refuses, the header reads Could not stop (name).
- Process IDs of 1 and below are never signalled.
After pressing it
The row disappears at the next refresh, which happens about every 9 seconds, if the program quit. If it is still there, it ignored the request or is slow to shut down. Wait a few seconds and look again. If it will not go, see what NotchStar cannot stop.
For reading the row before you press, see the Ports list columns. For broader process detail, Activity Monitor is the tool, compared on this page. The tab is on the Disk feature page.
