Ubuntu Shutdown Commands Guide | Generated by AI

Home 2026.02

Question: How to run “shutdown now” in Ubuntu?

Answer:

Here are the correct and commonly used ways to immediately shut down Ubuntu (from the terminal):

Most recommended modern methods (Ubuntu 18.04 → 2026)

# Cleanest and most commonly used today
sudo systemctl poweroff

# Immediate shutdown (same as above in most cases)
sudo poweroff

# Alternative spelling that also works
sudo shutdown now

All main variations that actually work

Command What it does Needs sudo? Notes
sudo systemctl poweroff Most modern & recommended way Yes Cleanest method in 2020–2026
sudo poweroff Simple shortcut Yes Very commonly used
sudo shutdown now Classic System V style command Yes Still works, but considered legacy
sudo shutdown -h now Same as above (more explicit) Yes -h = halt/poweroff
sudo init 0 Very old-school way Yes Works but almost never used anymore
sudo reboot Reboot instead of shutdown Yes Just for reference
sudo systemctl reboot Modern way to reboot Yes —

Quick “I just want to shut down right now” cheat sheet

Pick any one of these — they all work in 2025/2026:

sudo poweroff
# or
sudo systemctl poweroff
# or (still works)
sudo shutdown now

Bonus: Most polite way people usually type

# Most common real-world command people actually use:
sudo shutdown -h now

All of these will close applications cleanly and power off the computer immediately.

References:

Back Donate