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IDLE

Section: Linux Programmer's Manual (2)
Updated: 2012-12-31
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NAME

idle - make process 0 idle

SYNOPSIS

#include <unistd.h>

int idle(void);

DESCRIPTION

idle() is an internal system call used during bootstrap. It marks the process's pages as swappable, lowers its priority, and enters the main scheduling loop. idle() never returns.

Only process 0 may call idle(). Any user process, even a process with superuser permission, will receive EPERM.

RETURN VALUE

idle() never returns for process 0, and always returns -1 for a user process.

ERRORS

EPERM: Always, for a user process.

VERSIONS

Since Linux 2.3.13, this system call does not exist anymore.

CONFORMING TO

This function is Linux-specific, and should not be used in programs intended to be portable.

COLOPHON

This page is part of release 4.13 of the Linux man-pages project. A description of the project, information about reporting bugs, and the latest version of this page, can be found at https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.