What key combination generates a SIGINT signal in a terminal?

The SIGINT signal is an interrupt signal sent to a process in a terminal, commonly generated when the user wants to stop a running program. This signal allows users to interrupt processes cleanly and is an essential function in many command-line environments. The key combination that triggers this signal is the combination of the Control (Ctrl) key and the letter C.

When a user presses Ctrl-C, it sends a SIGINT signal to the foreground process in the terminal, effectively asking it to terminate. This mechanism is especially useful for stopping long-running commands or scripts without having to close the terminal or kill the process forcefully.

In contrast, other key combinations serve different functions; for instance, Ctrl-Z is used to suspend a process rather than terminate it, Ctrl-D is used to signal an end-of-file (EOF) condition in many command-line interfaces, and Ctrl-X serves various commands depending on the context, often related to cut or exit operations in text editors. Understanding these distinctions is important for effective terminal operation and process management.