How do I kill a locked SSH session?

Question

From time to time, SSH sessions to my servers just freeze up and then neither Ctrl+C nor Ctrl+\ do anything.

How do I quit the session without just closing the Terminal it's in?

Clarification:

The session is locked as in, no keys are transmitted to the server. I'd like to shut it down gracefully, such that the user isn't logged in anymore.

I know I can kill the SSH client, but that will, in time, make the "2 users" info message I get from uptime meaningless. I'd like to know how many users are really logged in.

score 160 · Accepted Answer · edited Nov 17 '17 at 06:16

160

To disconnect a locked-up ssh session, typeEnter ~.

A full list of escape codes can be found in the ssh manpage or by typing ~?.

edited Nov 17 '17 at 06:16

ravery

6,924

answered Jul 14 '11 at 21:55

dirk

1,802

score 68 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 07 '13 at 18:42

68

Type the following key sequence: Enter, ~, .. On US keyboards, the tilde (~) is Shift+`.

answered Sep 07 '13 at 18:42

Jacob

799

How do I kill a locked SSH session?

2 Answers2