niceload --sensor ... -l with negative number means: Run if values less than number.

src/niceload

@@ -455,10 +455,16 @@ sub over_run_limit {
 	$status += (::max(1,$self->{'runmem'}/$mem)-1);
     }
     if($self->{'runload'}) {
-	# load should be between 0-10ish
+	# If used with other limits load should be between 0-10ish
-	# 0 load => 0
+	no warnings 'numeric';
 	my $load = $self->load_status();
-	$status += ::max(0,$load - $self->{'runload'});
+	if($self->{'runload'} > 0) {
+	    # Stop if the load is above the limit
+	    $status += ::max(0,$load - $self->{'runload'});
+	} else {
+	    # Stop if the load is below the limit (for sensor)
+	    $status += ::max(0,-$load - $self->{'runload'});
+	}
     }
     if($self->{'runnoswap'}) {
 	# swap should be between 0-10ish
@@ -494,8 +500,15 @@ sub over_start_limit {
     if($self->{'startload'}) {
 	# load should be between 0-10ish
 	# 0 load => 0
+	no warnings 'numeric';
 	my $load = $self->load_status();
-	$status += ::max(0,$load - $self->{'startload'});
+	if($self->{'startload'} > 0) {
+	    # Stop if the load is above the limit
+	    $status += ::max(0,$load - $self->{'startload'});
+	} else {
+	    # Stop if the load is below the limit (for sensor)
+	    $status += ::max(0,-$load - $self->{'startload'});
+	}
     }
     if($self->{'startnoswap'}) {
 	# swap should be between 0-10ish

src/parallel.texi

@@ -452,6 +452,13 @@ Set the end of file string to eof-str.  If the end of file string
 occurs as a line of input, the rest of the input is ignored.  If
 neither @strong{-E} nor @strong{-e} is used, no end of file string is used.
 
+@item @strong{--delay} @emph{secs} (alpha testing)
+@anchor{@strong{--delay} @emph{secs} (alpha testing)}
+
+Delay starting next job @emph{secs} seconds. GNU @strong{parallel} will pause
+@emph{secs} seconds after starting each job. @emph{secs} can be less than 1
+seconds.
+
 @item @strong{--dry-run}
 @anchor{@strong{--dry-run}}
 

testsuite/Makefile

@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ testdb: ../src/parallel tests-to-run/*sql* wanted-results/*sql* prereqdb
 	time sh Start.sh sql
 	date
 
+local:	testlocal
+	true
+
 testlocal: ../src/parallel tests-to-run/*local* wanted-results/*local* prereqlocal
 	time sh Start.sh local
 	date

testsuite/tests-to-run/niceload02.sh

@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ echo '### Test niceload exit code'
 niceload "perl -e 'exit(3)'" ; echo $? eq 3
 niceload "perl -e 'exit(0)'" ; echo $? eq 0
 
+# force load > 10
+while uptime | grep -v age:.[1-9][0-9].[0-9][0-9] >/dev/null ; do (timeout 5 nice burnP6 2>/dev/null &) done
+
 echo '### Test -p'
 perl -e '$|=1;while($t++<3){sleep(1);print "."}' &
 # The above should be suspended for at least 4 seconds
-stdout /usr/bin/time -f %e niceload -D -l -2 -p $! | perl -ne '$_ > 6 and print "OK\n"'
+stdout /usr/bin/time -f %e niceload -D -l 9 -p $! | perl -ne '$_ > 6 and print "OK\n"'

testsuite/tests-to-run/parallel-local164.sh

@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ SERVER2=parallel-server2
 # -L1 will join lines ending in ' '
 cat <<'EOF' | sed -e s/\$SERVER1/$SERVER1/\;s/\$SERVER2/$SERVER2/ | parallel -j10 -k -L1
 echo "### Test --delay"
-seq 9 | /usr/bin/time -f %e  parallel -j3 --delay 0.3 true {} 2>&1 | perl -pe 's/.[0-9]+$//'
+seq 9 | /usr/bin/time -f %e  parallel -j3 --delay 0.53 true {} 2>&1 | 
+  perl -ne '$_ > 5 and print "More than 5 secs: OK\n"'
 
 echo '### Test -k 5'; 
   sleep 5

testsuite/tests-to-run/parallel-local21.sh

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ rm /tmp/basic--shebang-wrap
 
 echo "### Test --shebang-wrap with parser options"
 cat <<EOF > /tmp/with-parser--shebang-wrap
-#!/usr/local/bin/parallel --shebang-wrap /usr/bin/perl -p
+#!/usr/local/bin/parallel --shebang-wrap -k /usr/bin/perl -p
 
 print "Shebang from perl with args @ARGV\n";
 EOF
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@ EOF
 chmod 755 /tmp/with-parser--shebang-wrap
 /tmp/with-parser--shebang-wrap /tmp/in12 /tmp/in45
 echo "### Same as"
-parallel /usr/bin/perl -p /tmp/with-parser--shebang-wrap ::: /tmp/in12 /tmp/in45
+parallel -k /usr/bin/perl -p /tmp/with-parser--shebang-wrap ::: /tmp/in12 /tmp/in45
 echo "### stdin"
 (echo /tmp/in12; echo /tmp/in45) | /tmp/with-parser--shebang-wrap
 echo "### Same as"
-(echo /tmp/in12; echo /tmp/in45) | parallel /usr/bin/perl /tmp/with-parser--shebang-wrap
+(echo /tmp/in12; echo /tmp/in45) | parallel -k /usr/bin/perl /tmp/with-parser--shebang-wrap
 rm /tmp/with-parser--shebang-wrap
 
 

testsuite/wanted-results/parallel-local164

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ### Test --delay
-3
+More than 5 secs: OK
 ### Test -k 5
 ### Test -k 3
 ### Test -k 4