在Java中，守护线程是一种不阻止Java虚拟机(JVM)退出的线程类型。 守护线程的主要目的是执行后台任务，特别是一些例行的周期性任务或工作。JVM退出时，守护进程线程也会死亡。

通过设置thread. setdaemon (true)，线程变成守护线程。但是，您只能在线程启动之前设置这个值。

Daemon threads are those threads which provide general services for user threads (Example : clean up services - garbage collector) Daemon threads are running all the time until kill by the JVM Daemon Threads are treated differently than User Thread when JVM terminates , finally blocks are not called JVM just exits JVM doesn't terminates unless all the user threads terminate. JVM terminates if all user threads are dies JVM doesn't wait for any daemon thread to finish before existing and finally blocks are not called If all user threads dies JVM kills all the daemon threads before stops When all user threads have terminated, daemon threads can also be terminated and the main program terminates setDaemon() method must be called before the thread's start() method is invoked Once a thread has started executing its daemon status cannot be changed To determine if a thread is a daemon thread, use the accessor method isDaemon()

再讲一点(参考:Java并发实践)

当创建一个新线程时，它将继承其守护进程状态 的父母。 当所有非守护进程线程完成时，JVM停止，并放弃所有剩余的守护进程线程: 最后，块不执行， 栈不会被解开——JVM只是退出。 由于这个原因，应该谨慎使用守护线程，将它们用于可能执行任何类型的I/O的任务是危险的。

守护线程是在后台执行一些任务的线程，比如处理请求或应用程序中可能存在的各种chronjob。

当你的程序只剩下守护线程时，它将退出。这是因为这些线程通常与普通线程一起工作，并提供事件的后台处理。

你可以使用setDaemon方法指定一个线程是守护线程，它们通常不会退出，也不会被中断。当应用程序停止时，它们就会停止。

Java中的守护线程是指运行在后台的线程，主要由JVM创建，用于执行后台任务，如垃圾收集和其他家政任务。

注意事项:

Any thread created by main thread, which runs main method in Java is by default non daemon because Thread inherits its daemon nature from the Thread which creates it i.e. parent Thread and since main thread is a non daemon thread, any other thread created from it will remain non-daemon until explicitly made daemon by calling setDaemon(true). Thread.setDaemon(true) makes a Thread daemon but it can only be called before starting Thread in Java. It will throw IllegalThreadStateException if corresponding Thread is already started and running.

Java中守护线程与非守护线程的区别:

1) JVM在存在之前不会等待任何守护线程完成。

2)当JVM终止时，守护线程与用户线程被区别对待，最终块不被调用，堆栈不受伤，JVM只是退出。

当最后一个非守护进程线程执行完成时，JVM将完成这项工作。默认情况下，JVM将创建一个线程作为非守护进程，但我们可以通过setDaemon(true)方法将线程创建为守护进程。Daemon线程的一个很好的例子是GC线程，它将在所有非Daemon线程完成后立即完成它的工作。