Windows shutdown equivalent in Linux
Powers off, reboots, or schedules a shutdown of the Linux system.
shutdown
shutdown
shutdown
shutdown
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "shutdown" is used to shutdown or restart the system. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "shutdown". Powers off, reboots, or schedules a shutdown of the Linux system. This reference is grouped under System & Storage → System.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Same name, different environment
The basic command name shutdown is familiar on both platforms, but Linux path rules, quoting, permissions and available options can still change the result.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read Linux disks, storage and mounts.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Shutdown or restart the system
Powers off, reboots, or schedules a shutdown of the Linux system.
shutdown now
Shutdown immediately
shutdown -h now
Halt (power off) now
shutdown -r now
Reboot now
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
shutdown now
poweroff
shutdown -r now
reboot
shutdown -h +30
shutdown -c
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows: shutdown /s /t 0
shutdown now # power off immediately
poweroff # same thing, shorter
# Windows: shutdown /r /t 0
shutdown -r now # reboot now
reboot # same thing, shorter
# Schedule for later:
shutdown -h +30 # shutdown in 30 minutes
shutdown -c # cancel scheduled shutdownReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
shutdown now | Shutdown immediately |
shutdown -h now | Halt (power off) now |
shutdown -r now | Reboot now |
reboot | Shortcut to reboot |
poweroff | Shortcut to power off |
shutdown -c | Cancel a scheduled shutdown |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "shutdown" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | shutdown |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | shutdown |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | shutdown |
Same command on this distribution. |
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