[Tfug] Nice and Priority

[Bexley Hall]

--- Felix Tilley <fetilley at earthlink.net> wrote:

> LINUX:
> 
> Please explain the difference between nice and
> priority.

nice(1) modifies a process's running priority
(usually to *lower* -- in the abstract, not 
numerical! sense -- it).

Users with superuser credentials can specify a
"negative" nice value -- thereby lowering the
*numerical* priority of a process which *raises*
it's "abstract" priority (i.e. since people tend
to think of "greater" as meaning "higher priority").

As a process runs, it's effective priority "ages";
short running processes can run to completion
quickly -- OTOH, long running processes gradually
"get nicer" (i.e. their priority *level* falls
as their numerical priority is artificially increased
by the kernel).  This makes interactive use somewhat
more responsive.

--don


 
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