How can one shutdown a PC using the keyboard?

Question

I would like to find a way to speed the shutting down process up by using shortcut keys.

I installed Ubuntu 14.10 - Utopic Unicorn on a Compaq HP, but I am not able to do that by following the methods used for the previous Ubuntu versions.

Is there a way to do that?

score 11 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 19 '14 at 16:37

11

you can do

> sudo init 0

to shutdown your computer from the terminal or

sudo shutdown -r now

to reboot it. Besides you can do man shutdown which will give you more detailed information about the shutdown command.

answered Dec 19 '14 at 16:37

heavyguidence

1,671

score 9 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 19 '14 at 10:36

The quickest way to PROPERLY shut down any PC running Ubuntu Linux that I know of regards something that can only be properly described as a sort-of keyboard shortcut when using a laptop.

You merely TAP (do not hold down) the power button. This causes a shutdown dialogue to appear in which the highlighted option is SHUT DOWN, so if you then press the ENTER key the computer will begin the orderly shutdown process, and will typically shut down in under 5 seconds.

So from the top, TAP power button and press enter. It shuts down so fast your windows friends will assume you merely closed the lid.

score 4 · Answer 3 · edited Dec 19 '14 at 22:22

4

Hit the power button.
Use arrow key to go to "shutdown".
Hit Enter.

It works with all Ubuntu versions, and it is (to me) the quickest way to shutdown a machine.

edited Dec 19 '14 at 22:22

Peter Mortensen

854

answered Dec 19 '14 at 10:28

Rinzwind

309,379

score 2 · Answer 4 · edited Dec 19 '14 at 23:15

2

Set up a sudo shutdown -h now in tty ahead of time, press Enter, type in your password and don't press enter. When you want to shut down, Ctrl+Alt+F1 and Enter.

You can also restart in tty by Ctrl+Alt+Delete without a sudo, but then you need to shut down before it restarts.

edited Dec 19 '14 at 23:15

Peter Mortensen

854

answered Dec 19 '14 at 16:42

ike

1,260

score 1 · Answer 5 · edited Dec 19 '14 at 11:03

1

You can also use the terminal Ctrl+Alt+T and type: sudo init 0

edited Dec 19 '14 at 11:03

Fabby

35,017

answered Dec 19 '14 at 10:33

Paulo Botelho

181

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered Dec 20 '14 at 11:58

Apart from the terminal and power button path, there is one more way using regular keyboard shortcuts.

Press ctrl + f10 to take the focus to top bar.
Now use the arrow key to move to power menu on the extreme right.
Use arrow key again to select shutdown.
Choose restart or shutdown again with arrow keys and Enter

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Dec 19 '14 at 16:19

0

I think the simplest way is to press Power button on your keyboard.

Just go to Power Option and set Power key to shutdown your pc.

answered Dec 19 '14 at 16:19

Hamed Kamrava

2,345

Praveen · Answer 8 · 2014-12-20T05:11:10.687

If your GUI ubuntu desktop is not freezed, open a terminal by Ctrl+Alt+T shortcut and do the following:

To shutdown now :

sudo shutdown -P now

To restart now :

sudo shutdown -P -r now

To shutdown after (say) 20 minutes :

sudo shutdown -P 20

Similarly, for restart also replace now by 20.

(To stop timed execution: Say after 15 minutes you decide not needed to shutdown/restart then go to the terminal window in which you executed the command and press Ctrl+C.)

If your GUI ubuntu desktop is freezed, go to commandline ubuntu desktop by Ctrl+Alt+F1(Here in place of F1, the keys F1to F6 are applicable ; also Ctrl+Alt+F7 will give you the GUI desktop back). Now in commandline ubuntu enter your login username and password. After successful login execute the same commands described above for shutdown (or restart).

How can one shutdown a PC using the keyboard?

8 Answers8