@node Niceness
@cindex niceness
@cindex priority
@unnumbered Niceness

Each transmitted packet has niceness level, as Unix has @command{nice}
command for controlling processes priority. Higher nicer level means
that packet is "nicer" and allows other to bypass him -- that means
lower transmission precedence.

Send big files with higher nice level! That will guarantee you that
higher priority packets, like mail messages, will pass first, even when
lower priority packet was already been partially downloaded.

There are default niceness levels built-in for
@command{@ref{nncp-exec}}, @command{@ref{nncp-file}} and
@command{@ref{nncp-freq}} commands. But pay attention that it can give
information about underlying payload to the adversary!

There are 1-255 niceness levels. They could be specified either as
integer, or using aliases with delta modifiers:

@table @emph
@vindex FLASH
@item FLASH (F)
Urgent priority.
@vindex PRIORITY
@item PRIORITY (P)
High priority. Command execution/mail use that priority by default.
@vindex NORMAL
@item NORMAL (N)
Normal priority. File requests use that priority by default.
@vindex BULK
@item BULK (B)
Bundles shipped on a "least effort" basis. File transmission use that
priority by default.
@end table

@verbatim
 1: F-31   65: P-31  129: N-31  193: B-31
 2: F-30   66: P-30  130: N-30  194: B-30
    ...        ...        ...        ...
32: F      96: P     160: N     224: B
33: F+1    97: P+1   161: N+1   225: B+1
34: F+2    98: P+2   162: N+2   226: B+2
    ...        ...        ...        ...
64: F+32  128: P+32  192: N+32  255: B+31 | MAX
@end verbatim

Precedence could be specified both with single-letter aliases and with
whole strings. They are case insensitive. @emph{MAX} is an alias for 255
niceness level.