Which signal can you send to a process to allow it to perform cleanup before termination?

Sending the SIGTERM signal to a process is the correct way to allow it to perform cleanup before termination. The SIGTERM signal is a request for the process to terminate gracefully. When a process receives this signal, it can execute any necessary cleanup routines, such as closing files, releasing resources, or saving state, before it shuts down.

This signal allows the process to handle the termination in a controlled manner, giving it the opportunity to finish processing and exit properly. By default, processes can handle or ignore the SIGTERM signal, which means that they can choose how to respond, ensuring that important tasks are completed before the process quits.

In contrast, the other signals listed serve different purposes. For instance, SIGKILL immediately terminates a process without the chance for cleanup, making it unsuitable for any scenario where you want to ensure resources are properly released. Similarly, SIGSTOP pauses a process, and SIGCONT resumes it, neither of which relate to termination or cleanup. Therefore, SIGTERM is the appropriate choice for allowing a process to prepare for its exit gracefully.