nice(1) DG/UX R4.11MU05 nice(1)
NAME
nice - run a command at a higher or lower priority
SYNOPSIS
nice [ -increment ] command [ arguments ]
DESCRIPTION
Nice executes command with a lower or higher CPU scheduling priority.
Scheduling priority numbers are such that the higher the number, the
lower the priority. A process at a lower priority will probably
execute more slowly than a process with a higher priority. The
highest priority level is -20. The lowest is 19.
By default, nice executes command at a lower priority (which is your
shell's priority plus 10).
If you provide an increment argument, the system executes your
command at a priority that much higher or lower than your current
priority. For example, with an argument of -10, nice will execute
your command at your current priority plus 10. With an argument of
--10, nice will execute your command at your current priority minus
10. If your shell's normal priority is 0 and you invoke nice with an
argument of -10, nice executes your command at a priority of 10.
Only a user with appropriate privilege can raise a process's priority
by passing nice a negative number. If a user without appropriate
privilege invokes nice with a negative number, nice assumes -0 as the
argument. For systems supporting the DG/UX Capability Option,
appropriate privilege is defined as having one or more specific
capabilities enabled in the effective capability set of the user.
See capdefaults(5) for the default capabilities for this command.
On systems without the DG/UX Capability Option, appropriate privilege
means that your process has an effective UID of root. See the
appropriateprivilege(5) man page for more information.
If you attempt to execute a command at a priority greater than 19,
nice executes it at 19. If you attempt to execute a command at a
priority less than -20, nice executes it at -20. You cannot
interrupt a process running at a very high priority (such as -20).
To interrupt such a process, use the renice(1) command first to lower
the process's priority.
System runtime conditions determine exactly how priority affects
execution speed. To change the priority of a process that is already
running, use the renice(1) command.
Note that this command is not the same as the built-in version of
nice that you get if you use the csh. See csh(1). If you use the
csh but prefer to use this version of nice, invoke this command with
its full pathname, /usr/bin/nice.
EXAMPLES
$ nice -19 who
nice will execute the who command at a lower CPU priority (that is,
at a priority 19 points lower than your shell's current priority).
$ nice --10 who
If you have appropriate privilege, nice will execute the who command
at a higher (10 points higher) CPU priority. If you do not have
appropriate privilege, nice executes the command at your current
priority.
$ nice who
nice will execute who at a priority that is 10 points lower than your
shell's priority.
DIAGNOSTICS
Nice returns the exit status of the subject command.
SEE ALSO
csh(1), nohup(1), renice(1), sh(1), getpriority(2), nice(2),
setpriority(2), appropriateprivilege(5).
capdefaults(5).
Licensed material--property of copyright holder(s)