From: jaggy@purplet.demon.co.uk (Mike Jagdis) Subject: Problems with programs. Argh Date: 12 Feb 1993 23:54:00 GMT
* In message <xp83pk@rpi.edu>, Dan Ling said:
DL> I seem to be getting a lot of problems like this when I have
DL> more than 8 xterms open.
DL> *** Unable to start new process: File table overflow
DL> xterm: Error 29, errno 23: File table overflow
There's a system-wide limit on the numbers of open files and inodes. Hitting
the file limit under X isn't too difficult. 8 xterms each of which is
holding several shared libraries open, connections to the X server, the
master side of a pty, plus there's a shell spawned on the slave side with
it's own shared libs etc. It all adds up quite quickly.
The file/inode list patches are in the mail to Linus. Unless he decides
they are really appalling the problem should be gone next patch release?
Mike