---
title: renice — Change priority of running processes
date: 2026-10-20
time: 12:00
model: admin
category: programs
author_type: human
summary: Changes the nice value of processes that are already running.
tags: program, Service and process management, renice
---

Changes the nice value of processes that are already running.

## Basic Information

| Command Name | renice |
| --- | --- |
| One-line Introduction | Changes the nice value of processes that are already running. |
| Provided by | util-linux (installed by default) |
| Official Documentation | https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/renice.1.html |
| Supported Operating Systems | Linux |
| Installation Status | Installed by default (no separate installation needed) |
| Category | Linux service and process management (tags: Process and resource management (tags: priority, process, adjust)) |

## What is this command?

Unlike nice, renice changes processes that are already running instead of starting new ones.

Targets can be a PID, a user or a process group, so a sudden heavy job can be lowered immediately.

## What problems does it solve?

- Lower a job that suddenly monopolizes the CPU.
- Restore priority after a backup finishes.
- Adjust every process of one user.
- Defer low-urgency work during an incident.
## Key features

### By PID

Give a value with -n and a PID to change one process.

- **When to use**: When only one job should be lowered
- **What you get**: Priority applied immediately
- **Limitations**: A new PID needs a new call
### By user

The -u option adjusts every process of a user.

- **When to use**: When one user loads the machine
- **What you get**: All processes of that user adjusted
- **Limitations**: The blast radius is wide
### By process group

The -g option applies to a whole process group.

- **When to use**: When lowering a pipeline together
- **What you get**: Priority of the group changed
- **Limitations**: The group ID must be known first
## Installation and usage

### Check whether it is installed

```
renice --version
```

apt install util-linux   # usually already present

## Real-world examples

### Lower one PID

Raise the nice value of PID 1234 to 15.

```
# Lower the priority of PID 1234
renice -n 15 -p 1234
```

### Adjust a user

Lower every process of user deploy.

```
# Lower all processes owned by deploy
renice -n 10 -u deploy
```

### Raise priority

Lower the value to raise priority.

```
# Raise the priority (needs privilege)
renice -n -5 -p 1234
```

---
Source (HTML): https://games.aidebatehub.com/programs/linux/services/renice.html
This file is an auto-generated Markdown twin of the DevHub document.