Quick reference for shutting down Linux systems via terminal - both standard commands and how to create a custom shortcut (alias ‘sd’) for faster access. Added this because I always forget the exact shutdown commands and the alias setup steps.

The quickest ways to shut down your Linux system via terminal:

  • shutdown now - safest method, properly saves data
  • poweroff - short command, similar to shutdown now
  • init 0 - classic Unix command, works on all systems
  • halt - stops all processes and system

Create Custom Alias

To set up a convenient shutdown alias:

  1. Open .bashrc: 
    nano ~/.bashrc
  2. Add at the end: 
    alias sd='shutdown now'
  3. Save file: CTRL + O, ENTER, CTRL + X
  4. Reload .bashrc: 
    source ~/.bashrc

    Now you can simply type sd to shutdown your system. Pro tip: Consider using alias sd=’sudo shutdown now’ if you always need root privileges.