NICE(1)                     386BSD Reference Manual                    NICE(1)

NAME
     nice - execute a Bourne shell command at a low scheduling

SYNOPSIS
     nice [-number] command [arguments]

DESCRIPTION
     Nice runs command at a low priority.  (Think of low and slow).  If
     -number is specified, and if it is greater than or equal to 10 (the
     default), nice will execute command at that priority.  The upper bound,
     or lowest priority that nice will run a command is 20.  The lower bounds
     or higher priorities (integers less than 10) can only be requested by the
     super-user.  Negative numbers are expressed as --number.

     The returned exit status is the exit value from the command executed by
     nice.

SEE ALSO
     csh(1),  renice(8)

HISTORY
     A nice command appeared in Version 6 AT&T UNIX.

BUGS
     Nice is particular to sh(1).  If you use csh(1),  then commands executed
     with ``&'' are automatically immune to hangup signals while in the
     background.

     Nice is built into csh(1) with a slightly different syntax than described
     here.  The form `nice +10' nices to positive nice, and `nice -10' can be
     used by the super-user to give a process more of the processor.

4th Berkeley Distribution        July 24, 1991                               1