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。

Daemon thread is like daemon process which is responsible for managing resources,a daemon thread is created by the Java VM to serve the user threads. example updating system for unix,unix is daemon process. child of daemon thread is always daemon thread,so by default daemon is false.you can check thread as daemon or user by using "isDaemon()" method. so daemon thread or daemon process are basically responsible for managing resources. for example when you starting jvm there is garbage collector running that is daemon thread whose priority is 1 that is lowest,which is managing memory. jvm is alive as long as user thread is alive,u can not kill daemon thread.jvm is responsible to kill daemon threads.

Java有一种特殊的线程，称为守护线程。

非常低的优先级。 仅在同一程序没有其他线程正在运行时执行。 当守护线程结束时，JVM结束程序，完成这些线程 程序中运行的唯一线程。

守护线程用于什么?

通常用作普通线程的服务提供者。 通常有一个等待服务请求或执行线程任务的无限循环。 他们不能做重要的工作。(因为我们不知道它们什么时候会有CPU时间，如果没有任何其他线程在运行，它们可以在任何时间完成。)

这类线程的一个典型示例是Java垃圾收集器。

有更多的…

在调用start()方法之前，只能调用setDaemon()方法。线程运行后，就不能修改它的守护进程状态。 使用isDaemon()方法检查线程是守护线程还是用户线程。

Java守护线程

(守护进程)

Java使用用户线程和守护进程线程概念。

JVM流

1. If there are no `user treads` JVM starts terminating the program
2. JVM terminates all `daemon threads` automatically without waiting when they are done
3. JVM is shutdown

正如你所看到的，守护线程是用户线程的服务线程。

守护线程是低优先级线程。 线程从父线程继承它的属性。要从外部设置它，你可以在启动它之前使用setDaemon()方法或通过isDaemon()检查它

让我们只讨论工作示例中的代码。我喜欢russ上面的回答，但为了消除我的疑虑，我稍微加强了一下。我运行了两次，一次工作线程设置为deamon true (deamon线程)，另一次设置为false(用户线程)。它确认守护线程在主线程结束时结束。

public class DeamonThreadTest {

public static void main(String[] args) {

    new WorkerThread(false).start();    //set it to true and false and run twice.

    try {
        Thread.sleep(7500);
    } catch (InterruptedException e) {
        // handle here exception
    }

    System.out.println("Main Thread ending");
    }
   }

   class WorkerThread extends Thread {

    boolean isDeamon;

    public WorkerThread(boolean isDeamon) {
        // When false, (i.e. when it's a user thread),
        // the Worker thread continues to run.
        // When true, (i.e. when it's a daemon thread),
        // the Worker thread terminates when the main
        // thread terminates.
        this.isDeamon = isDeamon;
        setDaemon(isDeamon);
    }

    public void run() {
        System.out.println("I am a " + (isDeamon ? "Deamon Thread" : "User Thread (none-deamon)"));

        int counter = 0;

        while (counter < 10) {
            counter++;
            System.out.println("\tworking from Worker thread " + counter++);

            try {
                sleep(5000);
            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                // handle exception here
            }
        }
        System.out.println("\tWorker thread ends. ");
    }
}



result when setDeamon(true)
=====================================
I am a Deamon Thread
    working from Worker thread 0
    working from Worker thread 1
Main Thread ending

Process finished with exit code 0


result when setDeamon(false)
=====================================
I am a User Thread (none-deamon)
    working from Worker thread 0
    working from Worker thread 1
Main Thread ending
    working from Worker thread 2
    working from Worker thread 3
    working from Worker thread 4
    working from Worker thread 5
    working from Worker thread 6
    working from Worker thread 7
    working from Worker thread 8
    working from Worker thread 9
    Worker thread ends. 

Process finished with exit code 0

守护线程是在进程的其他非守护线程仍在运行时在后台运行的线程。因此，当所有非守护进程线程完成时，守护进程线程将终止。非守护进程线程的一个例子是运行Main的线程。 通过在线程启动之前调用setDaemon()方法，将线程设置为守护进程

更多参考:Java中的守护进程线程