Putting Linux processes on certain CPU cores

Question

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How can I set the processor affinity of a process on Linux?

Computer CPUs have many cores insde them nowadays.

I have always wondered if there is a way to, when I start a process on the Linux command line, specify which particular core or cores that process might use?

For example, can I start a massive grep task and say "use ALL of CPU2 for yourself".

Or could I start a find task and say "never leave CPU3".

Or maybe I could start a video decoding task and say "use whatever is available on CPU1 and CPU2"

OR, is there no way to do this because it is not needed and the OS is doing this kind of stuff intelligently by itself (based on nice levels and general resource usage of the process etc)

IfyouknowwhatImean

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 10 '12 at 13:45

2

What you are wondering about is CPU Affinity. I found that there was a good explanation of CPU affinity on NixCraft. But note that the Linux kernel is indeed, as you say, already making intelligent choices.

answered Sep 10 '12 at 13:45

drumfire

208

2

And thankfully I don't know of many linux apps that charge you using a per-core licence (MSSQL I'm looking at you) – Rqomey Sep 10 '12 at 14:18

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 10 '12 at 15:47

1

See the taskset utility. Should be exactly what you're looking for.

answered Sep 10 '12 at 15:47

Jim Paris

14,337

Putting Linux processes on certain CPU cores

2 Answers2