diff -Nru dpkg-1.14.24/debian/changelog dpkg-1.14.25/debian/changelog
--- dpkg-1.14.24/debian/changelog	2008-12-29 04:38:33.000000000 +0000
+++ dpkg-1.14.25/debian/changelog	2009-01-07 19:54:53.000000000 +0000
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+dpkg (1.14.25) unstable; urgency=low
+
+  * start-stop-daemon: Add support for changing a process's 
+    scheudling class and priority.
+
+ -- Chris Coulson <chrisccoulson@googlemail.com>  Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:53:30 +0000
+
 dpkg (1.14.24) unstable; urgency=low
 
   [ Raphael Hertzog ]
diff -Nru dpkg-1.14.24/utils/start-stop-daemon.c dpkg-1.14.25/utils/start-stop-daemon.c
--- dpkg-1.14.24/utils/start-stop-daemon.c	2008-12-26 04:49:01.000000000 +0000
+++ dpkg-1.14.25/utils/start-stop-daemon.c	2009-01-08 13:55:06.000000000 +0000
@@ -103,6 +103,26 @@
 #include <error.h>
 #endif
 
+#include <sys/syscall.h>
+#if defined(SYS_ioprio_set) && defined(linux)
+#  define SupportIOPrioSet
+#endif
+
+#ifdef SupportIOPrioSet
+enum {
+	IOPRIO_WHO_PROCESS = 1,
+	IOPRIO_WHO_PGRP,
+	IOPRIO_WHO_USER,
+};
+
+enum {
+	IOPRIO_CLASS_NONE,
+	IOPRIO_CLASS_RT,
+	IOPRIO_CLASS_BE,
+	IOPRIO_CLASS_IDLE,
+};
+#endif
+
 static int testmode = 0;
 static int quietmode = 0;
 static int exitnodo = 1;
@@ -127,6 +147,14 @@
 static const char *progname = "";
 static int nicelevel = 0;
 static int umask_value = -1;
+#ifdef SupportIOPrioSet
+static int ioprio = 4;
+static int ioprio_class = IOPRIO_CLASS_BE;
+static int set_ioprio = 0;
+static int ioprio_mask = 0;
+
+#define IOPRIO_CLASS_SHIFT	13
+#endif
 
 static struct stat exec_stat;
 #if defined(OSHURD)
@@ -168,7 +196,9 @@
 #if defined(OSLinux) || defined(OShpux)
 static int pid_is_exec(pid_t pid, const struct stat *esb);
 #endif
-
+#ifdef SupportIOPrioSet
+static inline int ioprio_set(int which, int who, int ioprio);
+#endif
 
 static void fatal(const char *format, ...)
 	NONRETURNING PRINTFFORMAT(1, 2);
@@ -308,6 +338,10 @@
 "  -r|--chroot <directory>       chroot to <directory> before starting\n"
 "  -d|--chdir <directory>        change to <directory> (default is /)\n"
 "  -N|--nicelevel <incr>         add incr to the process's nice level\n"
+#ifdef SupportIOPrioSet
+"  -C|--ioschedclass <class>     set the process's IO scheduler class\n"
+"  -P|--ioschedprio <data>       set the process's IO scheduler class data\n"
+#endif
 "  -k|--umask <mask>             change the umask to <mask> before starting\n"
 "  -b|--background               force the process to detach\n"
 "  -m|--make-pidfile             create the pidfile before starting\n"
@@ -520,6 +554,10 @@
 		{ "exec",	  1, NULL, 'x'},
 		{ "chuid",	  1, NULL, 'c'},
 		{ "nicelevel",	  1, NULL, 'N'},
+#ifdef SupportIOPrioSet
+		{ "ioschedclass",	1, NULL, 'C'},
+		{ "ioschedprio",	1, NULL, 'P'},
+#endif
 		{ "umask",	  1, NULL, 'k'},
 		{ "background",	  0, NULL, 'b'},
 		{ "make-pidfile", 0, NULL, 'm'},
@@ -533,9 +571,15 @@
 	int c;
 
 	for (;;) {
+#ifdef SupportIOPrioSet
+		c = getopt_long(argc, argv,
+		                "HKSVa:n:op:qr:s:tu:vx:c:N:C:P:k:bmR:g:d:",
+		                longopts, NULL);
+#else
 		c = getopt_long(argc, argv,
 		                "HKSVa:n:op:qr:s:tu:vx:c:N:k:bmR:g:d:",
 		                longopts, NULL);
+#endif
 		if (c == -1)
 			break;
 		switch (c) {
@@ -597,6 +641,16 @@
 		case 'N':  /* --nice */
 			nicelevel = atoi(optarg);
 			break;
+#ifdef SupportIOPrioSet
+		case 'C':  /* --ioschedclass */
+			ioprio_class = atoi(optarg);
+			set_ioprio = 1;
+			break;
+		case 'P':  /* --ioschedprio */
+			ioprio = atoi(optarg);
+			set_ioprio = 1;			
+			break;
+#endif
 		case 'k':  /* --umask <mask> */
 			umask_str = optarg;
 			break;
@@ -1221,6 +1275,14 @@
 	}
 }
 
+#ifdef SupportIOPrioSet
+static inline int
+ioprio_set (int which, int who, int ioprio)
+{
+	return syscall(SYS_ioprio_set, which, who, ioprio);
+}
+#endif
+
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
@@ -1334,6 +1396,36 @@
 			fatal("Unable to alter nice level by %i: %s",
 			      nicelevel, strerror(errno));
 	}
+#ifdef SupportIOPrioSet
+	if (set_ioprio) {
+		switch (ioprio_class) {
+			case IOPRIO_CLASS_NONE:
+				/* Set to best-effort */
+				if (quietmode < 0)
+					printf("Ignoring user defined IO scheduler class. Setting to IOPRIO_CLASS_BE");
+				ioprio_class = IOPRIO_CLASS_BE;
+				break;
+			case IOPRIO_CLASS_RT:
+			case IOPRIO_CLASS_BE:
+				break;
+			case IOPRIO_CLASS_IDLE:
+				/* Ignore priority for the idle class */
+				if (quietmode < 0)
+					printf ("Ignoring any user defined IO scheduler priority. Setting to priority 7");
+				ioprio = 7;
+				break;
+			default:
+				fatal("Bad IO scheduler class: %i", ioprio_class);
+		}
+		ioprio_mask = ioprio | ioprio_class << IOPRIO_CLASS_SHIFT;
+		if (quietmode < 0)
+			printf("IO priority mask %i", ioprio_mask);
+		errno = 0;
+		if ((ioprio_set(IOPRIO_WHO_PROCESS, getpid(), ioprio_mask) == -1) && (errno != 0))
+			fatal("Unable to alter IO priority to mask %i: %s",
+				  ioprio_mask, strerror(errno));
+	}
+#endif
 	if (umask_value >= 0)
 		umask(umask_value);
 	if (mpidfile && pidfile != NULL) {