IDLE(2) Linux Programmer's Manual IDLE(2)

idle - make process 0 idle

#include <unistd.h>

int idle(void);

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.

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

Always, for a user process.

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

Since 2.3.13 this system call does not exist anymore.

1994-08-21 Linux 1.1.46

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