To execute a one-time task when the load average is below 0.8, use the batch command.

After typing the batch command, the at> prompt is displayed. Type the command to execute, press Enter, and press Ctrl+D . Multiple commands can be specified by typing each command followed by the Enter key. After typing all the commands, press Enter to go to a blank line and press Ctrl+D . Alternatively, a shell script can be entered at the prompt, pressing Enter after each line in the script, and pressing Ctrl+D on a blank line to exit. If a script is entered, the shell used is the shell set in the user's SHELL environment, the user's login shell, or /bin/sh (whichever is found first). As soon as the load average is below 0.8, the set of commands or script is executed.

If the set of commands or script tries to display information to standard out, the output is emailed to the user.

Use the command atq to view pending jobs. See Section 18.2.3, “Viewing Pending Jobs” for more information.

Usage of the batch command can be restricted. For more information, refer to Section 18.2.5, “Controlling Access to At and Batch” for details.