GNU bug report logs - #12530
nice(1) man page, bad wording

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Message #8 received at 12530 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: "Voelker, Bernhard" <bernhard.voelker <at> siemens-enterprise.com>
To: David Diggles <david.diggles <at> dnrm.qld.gov.au>, "12530 <at> debbugs.gnu.org"
	<12530 <at> debbugs.gnu.org>
Subject: RE: bug#12530: nice(1) man page, bad wording
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2012 13:25:25 +0000

David Diggles wrote (Friday, September 28, 2012 4:45 AM)

> DESCRIPTION
>        Run  COMMAND  with an adjusted niceness, which affects process
> scheduling.  With no COMMAND, print the current niceness.  Nicenesses
> range from -20
>        (most favorable scheduling) to 19 (least favorable).
>
> Favorable to what?  It really does not explain, since it can be
> interpreted in opposite ways.  Please use words like higher and lower
> priority.

Hello to Brisbane!

Thanks for the report.

"Favorable" means the kernel will favor this process before
it will take "least favorable" processes into account for
scheduling.

I don't think the words "higher"/"lower" will bring clarity
to it, maybe it'd even be worse because a higher nice number
leads to lower priority.

What about a stronger term like "aggressive scheduling"?

Have a nice day,
Berny

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