idle() System Call in Linux

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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

CONFORMING TO

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

NOTES

Since 2.3.13 this system call does not exist anymore.