How to Restart PC in Ubuntu Linux

This post describes steps you can take to restart a PC running Ubuntu Linux.

There are multiple ways to restart PC with Ubuntu Linux and all of them work well. Some work well in certain situations, but they all accomplish the same goal: to restart Ubuntu Linux.

For example, if your PC running Ubuntu Linux is stuck and not responding to keyboard or mouse commands, simply pressing the power button to shutdown won’t hurt in many cases.

You can then press power button again to start up your Ubuntu Linux machine. This is also considered a restart, even though not your usual restart process.

This behavior can be changed in the Settings app in Ubuntu Linux.

So, whatever method you use to restart Ubuntu Linux, you’ll want to pick a restart method that works best for you. Oh, unless in extreme cases, shutting down your PC using the power button, and then starting back up is not recommended.

How to restart Ubuntu Linux from the system menu

The normal and more common way to restart a PC running Ubuntu Linux is using the system menu. The system menu is the top-right corner on the top bar.

To restart in Ubuntu Linux, click top-right of the system menu, then select the Power Off / Log Out on the context menu to expand.

On the expanded system menu for Power Off / Log Out, select the Restart command as highlighted below.

Next, click the Restart button to restart your Ubuntu Linux PC.

Restart Ubuntu Linux from command line

If you prefer to use Ubuntu Linux command line, simply open it by pressing the CTRL + ALT + T on your keyboard and run the commands below to restart your PC.

sudo shutdown -r now

If you want to schedule a restart at a specific time, simply use the 24-hour time format and specify the time with the shutdown command.

example: restart at 5:00PM

sudo shutdown -r 17:00 

You can also specify wait time before shutting down. For example, to restart in 15 minutes, simply use the command options below:

sudo shutdown -r +15

Restart Ubuntu Linux using PC Power button

If all the restart methods above fail, simply hold down the power button for up to 20 seconds to shutdown your PC. Then press again to turn on your PC. If that also fails, well, then pull the power plug from the wall (LOL).

Hopefully these restart methods help you get your computer restarted.

Conclusion:

This post showed you how to restart Ubuntu Linux PC. If you find any error above of have something to share, please use the comment form below to report.