nice - Run a command at a different priority
Format
nice [-n number] command-line
nice [-number] command-line
tcsh shell: nice [+number] [command]
Description
nice runs a command at a different priority than usual. Normally, nice lowers the current priority by 10.
The command-line must invoke a single utility command, without using compound commands, pipelines, command substitution, and other special structures.
In the tcsh shell, nice sets the scheduling priority for the tcsh
shell to number, or, without number, to
4
. With command, nice runs
command at the appropriate priority. The greater the number, the less cpu
the process gets. The super-user may specify negative priority by using: nice -number ...
command is always executed in a subshell, and the restrictions placed on
commands in simple if statements apply. See tcsh - Invoke a C shell.Options
- -n number
- Lowers the current priority by number. On systems supporting higher priorities, a user with
appropriate privileges can use nice to increase priority by specifying a
negative value for number. For example,
runs the command with an increased priority of 3.nice -n -3 command
- -number
- Is an obsolete version of the -n number.
Localization
nice uses
the following localization environment variables:
- LANG
- LC_ALL
- LC_CTYPE
- LC_MESSAGES
- NLSPATH
Exit values
If nice invokes the command-line, it exits with the
exit status returned by command-line otherwise its exit status is one of the
following:
1-125
- An error occurred in the nice utility.
126
- nice could not invoke command-line.
127
- nice could not find the utility specified in command-line.
Portability
POSIX.2 User Portability Extension, X/Open Portability Guide, UNIX systems.
Related information
nohup, renice, tcsh