When dealing with nginx on macOS, especially when installed via MacPorts, stopping the server isn't always as straightforward as running nginx -s stop. Several factors can prevent nginx from shutting down properly:

• Launchd persistence when installed as a service
• Configuration issues with daemon mode
• Permission problems with the control socket

Here are four reliable ways to stop nginx on macOS:

# Method 1: Using launchctl (if installed as service)
sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.macports.nginx.plist

# Method 2: Forceful process termination
sudo pkill -9 nginx

# Method 3: Targeted process kill
sudo kill $(ps aux | grep '[n]ginx: master' | awk '{print $2}')

# Method 4: Alternative stop signal
sudo nginx -s quit  # More graceful than 'stop'

If you're manually controlling nginx (without launchd), ensure these settings in your nginx.conf:

daemon off;
master_process on;
pid /usr/local/var/run/nginx.pid;

When nginx won't die, use this diagnostic sequence:

# Check running processes
ps aux | grep nginx

# Verify listening ports
sudo lsof -i :80

# Examine error logs
tail -f /opt/local/log/nginx/error.log

For easier management, create a bash script:

#!/bin/bash

case "$1" in
  start)
    sudo nginx -p /opt/local/etc/nginx/
    ;;
  stop)
    sudo nginx -s quit
    sleep 2
    [ -n "$(pgrep nginx)" ] && sudo pkill -9 nginx
    ;;
  *)
    echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop}"
    exit 1
esac

Remember that MacPorts modifies standard behaviors:

• Default config path: /opt/local/etc/nginx/
• Logs directory: /opt/local/log/nginx/
• Binary location: /opt/local/sbin/nginx

For complete removal:

sudo port uninstall nginx
sudo rm -rf /opt/local/etc/nginx /opt/local/var/log/nginx

---

After installing Nginx via MacPorts on my development machine, I encountered an interesting issue - the server simply wouldn't stop through conventional methods. Here's what happens when you run the standard stop command:

sudo nginx -s stop

The processes persist, as verified by:

ps -e | grep nginx

When installed through MacPorts, Nginx gets integrated with launchd, macOS's service management framework. This creates two potential control paths:

• The direct Nginx command interface
• The system-level launchd service management

Here are three reliable ways to stop Nginx completely:

Method 1: Using launchctl (Recommended)

Since MacPorts created a launchd plist, we should use the proper service management tools:

sudo launchctl unload /opt/local/etc/LaunchDaemons/org.macports.nginx/org.macports.nginx.plist

Method 2: Force Kill Process

For immediate termination (not graceful):

sudo pkill -9 nginx

Method 3: Port Variant Control

MacPorts provides its own management commands:

sudo port unload nginx

The daemon off; directive in nginx.conf makes Nginx run in the foreground, which can interfere with service management. For development purposes, you might want to:

# In nginx.conf
daemon on;
master_process on;

For daily development use, I recommend this pattern:

# Start
sudo port load nginx

# Stop 
sudo port unload nginx

# Status check
sudo launchctl list | grep nginx

If processes persist after stopping:

1. Check for multiple instances with ps aux | grep nginx
2. Verify the actual config file being used with sudo nginx -T
3. Inspect launchd logs with sudo tail -f /var/log/system.log