How to keep background processes from slowing down my program

[David Marks]

   Two ideas:
1.  Check out the TIMER0 and TIMER1 pseudodevices in gl.  In browsing through
some code we have, I have seen those used to generate events at regular
intervals to update the screen of a flight simulator.  They are used in
conjuction with the noise() routine, to control how often the timers generate
events.

2.  UNIX provides the set_interval_timer [setitimer(2)] routine which you can
use to trigger a SIGALRM signal after a specified interval.

Idea #1 is probably the way to go, due to its functional simplicity and its 
direct availability through gl.

Dave Marks
Rome Laboratory
marks at aivax.radc.af.mil