Rofi Process Killer

Disclaimer: This blog article has been generated with the assistance of AI to help announce and explain the features of Rofi Process Killer. While the content is AI-generated, the software itself and the ideas behind it are the result of real development work and genuine user needs.

Introducing Rofi Process Killer: A Better Way to Manage Linux Processes

Ever found yourself hunting through htop or typing ps aux | grep just to kill a misbehaving process? If you’re a Linux user who loves efficient workflows, I’ve got something that might change how you handle process management forever.

Today, I’m excited to announce Rofi Process Killer – a sleek, keyboard-driven process manager that integrates seamlessly with the popular rofi application launcher.

What is Rofi Process Killer?

Rofi Process Killer is a custom rofi module that transforms process management from a command-line chore into an intuitive, visual experience. With just a few keystrokes, you can:

  • View all running processes with complete command lines, CPU usage, and memory consumption
  • Kill processes instantly with intelligent graceful termination (SIGTERM) followed by force kill (SIGKILL) if needed
  • See full command arguments – no more truncated process names
  • Filter processes in real-time using rofi’s built-in search capabilities

Why I Built This

As someone who frequently works with multiple development environments, Docker containers, and various system processes, I was constantly frustrated by the traditional process management workflow:

  1. Open terminal
  2. Run ps aux or htop
  3. Search for the problematic process
  4. Note down the PID
  5. Kill it with kill command

This felt clunky, especially when using tiling window managers where quick, keyboard-driven actions are paramount. I wanted something that felt as smooth as launching applications with rofi – and that’s exactly what this tool delivers.

Key Features

Complete Process Information

Unlike basic process viewers, Rofi Process Killer shows you everything you need:

  • Process ID (PID)
  • CPU usage percentage
  • Memory usage percentage
  • Process owner
  • Full command line with all arguments (no truncation!)

Smart Text Wrapping

Long command lines don’t get cut off – they wrap intelligently across multiple lines, so you can see exactly what each process is doing.

Safe Process Termination

The tool follows best practices for process management:

  1. First attempts graceful termination (SIGTERM)
  2. If the process doesn’t respond, automatically escalates to force kill (SIGKILL)
  3. Provides desktop notifications for feedback

Beautiful Dark Theme

Includes a custom rofi theme optimized for process management with:

  • Clean, readable monospace font
  • Dark color scheme that’s easy on the eyes
  • Proper spacing for wrapped text
  • Visual distinction between normal and selected processes

Installation

For Arch Linux Users

# Install from AUR 
yay -S rofi-process-killer

# Or install manually from GitHub
git clone https://github.com/madhur/rofi-process-killer.git
cd rofi-process-killer
chmod +x rofi-process-killer.sh
cp rofi-process-killer.sh ~/.local/bin/
cp process-killer.rasi ~/.config/rofi/themes/

Usage

Launch with a simple command:

rofi -modi "processes:rofi-process-killer" -show processes -theme ~/.config/rofi/themes/process-killer.rasi

Or create a keyboard shortcut in your window manager:

# i3/sway example
bindsym $mod+Shift+p exec rofi -modi "processes:rofi-process-killer" -show processes

Perfect for Power Users

This tool shines in environments where efficiency matters:

  • Tiling Window Managers: i3, sway, bspwm, etc.
  • Development Workflows: Quickly kill runaway dev servers, Docker containers, or build processes
  • System Administration: Fast process management without leaving your current workspace
  • General Productivity: Any scenario where you need quick access to process management

Technical Implementation

For those curious about the internals, the tool is built as a rofi script mode that:

  • Uses ps auxww with unlimited width to capture complete command lines
  • Implements intelligent process filtering to exclude kernel threads
  • Provides error handling for permission-denied scenarios
  • Integrates with the desktop notification system for user feedback

The custom rofi theme leverages advanced CSS-like styling to enable text wrapping and optimize the visual layout for process information.

What’s Next?

I’m already working on several enhancements:

  • Process filtering options (by user, CPU usage, memory usage)
  • Process tree view to show parent-child relationships
  • Resource usage graphs for visual process monitoring
  • Integration with systemd for service management
  • Configuration file for customizable display options

Try It Today

Ready to streamline your process management workflow?

🔗 GitHub Repository: https://github.com/madhur/rofi-process-killer

The repository includes:

  • Complete installation instructions
  • Usage examples and screenshots
  • Custom theme files
  • Keyboard shortcut configurations for popular window managers

Contributing

This is an open-source project, and I welcome contributions! Whether you want to:

  • Report bugs or suggest features
  • Improve the documentation
  • Add new functionality
  • Create additional themes

Feel free to open issues or submit pull requests on GitHub.

Final Thoughts

Rofi Process Killer represents what I love about the Linux ecosystem – the ability to create tools that perfectly fit your workflow. It’s fast, efficient, and keyboard-driven, embodying the Unix philosophy of doing one thing well.

If you’re someone who appreciates well-crafted developer tools and efficient workflows, give it a try. I think you’ll find it becomes an indispensable part of your daily Linux experience.

Have you tried Rofi Process Killer? I’d love to hear your feedback! Connect with me on GitHub or share your experience in the comments below.

Tags: #Linux #Rofi #ProcessManagement #OpenSource #ProductivityTools #TilingWindowManagers #Developer Tools