Linux nice Guide

Linux nice Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to nice on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including process priority, CPU scheduling, and performance tuning.

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Table of Contents

1. Understanding nice
2. nice Basics
3. Setting Priority
4. Priority Levels
5. Troubleshooting

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Understanding nice

What is nice?

nice sets process priority.

Uses:

• Set priority: Change process priority
• CPU scheduling: Control CPU access
• Performance tuning: Tune process performance
• Resource management: Manage resources

Why it matters:

• Performance: Control process priority
• Resource management: Manage CPU usage
• System stability: Maintain system stability

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nice Basics

Run with Priority

Basic usage:

# Run with nice priority
nice command

# Default nice value: 10

Set Nice Value

Specify value:

# Set nice value
nice -n 15 command

# -n = nice value (higher = lower priority)

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Setting Priority

Nice Values

Value range:

# Nice range: -20 to 19
# -20 = highest priority
# 19 = lowest priority

# High priority
nice -n -10 command

# Low priority
nice -n 15 command

Change Existing

Modify priority:

# Change existing process (use renice)
renice 10 -p 1234

# Changes process 1234 to nice 10

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Priority Levels

High Priority

Increase priority:

# High priority (requires root)
sudo nice -n -10 command

# Negative values need root

Low Priority

Decrease priority:

# Low priority
nice -n 19 command

# Lowest priority

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Troubleshooting

Permission Denied

Use sudo:

# Negative nice values need root
sudo nice -n -10 command

# Or use renice
sudo renice -10 -p PID

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Summary

This guide covered nice usage, process priority, and CPU scheduling for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.

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Next Steps

• renice Guide - Change priority
• Process Management - Process management
• Performance Tuning - Performance optimization
• nice Documentation: man nice

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.