XK0-006 System Management Practice Question
A system administrator wants to change the priority of a running process with PID 1234 to a lower priority (higher nice value). Which command should be used?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
renice -n 10 -p 1234
renice is used to change the nice value of an existing process. A higher nice value means lower priority.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
renice -n 10 -p 1234
Why this is correct
`renice -n 10 -p 1234` adjusts the nice value of an already-running process, satisfying the stem's requirement to alter priority without restarting it. The `-p` flag targets PID 1234 directly, and a positive nice value of 10 lowers scheduling priority, unlike `nice`, which only sets priority when launching a new process.
- ✗
renice -n -10 -p 1234
Why it's wrong here
A negative nice value (-10) raises priority, the opposite of the requested lower priority; lowering priority requires a positive nice value such as renice -n 10 -p 1234. The command is tempting because renice does change a running process's nice value, and negative values are valid syntax, but they elevate scheduling priority rather than reduce it.
- ✗
chrt -p 10 1234
Why it's wrong here
chrt sets or reads real-time scheduling policy and priority, not the nice value, so it cannot lower PID 1234's priority in the requested manner. It is tempting because chrt does alter scheduling attributes of running processes, and it would be correct when assigning a real-time policy such as SCHED_FIFO.
- ✗
nice -n 10 -p 1234
Why it's wrong here
nice is used to start a process with a given priority, not change an existing one.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Process Management and System Monitoring
Key term
Process
In IT service management, a process is a structured set of activities designed to accomplish a specific objective, such as managing incidents or changes, by transforming inputs into defined outputs.
Key term
Value
Value is the perceived worth, benefit, or usefulness that a service, product, or activity delivers to stakeholders, especially customers and the business.
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