Messages in this thread | | | Date | Tue, 2 Feb 1999 08:59:59 -0500 (EST) | From | "Richard B. Johnson" <> | Subject | Free page lower limit |
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The following, between two systems using Linux 2.2.1:
mount skunkworks:/ /mnt tar -clf /dev/null /mnt
Eventually results in a low memory situation on the serving node. This prevents login from executing.
If a task remains logged in, `cat proc/meminfo` shows more and more swap being used, plus less and less free memory. Eventually I get a "can't fork" error. The problem seems to be when the free pages get below 740k. This is the last number I am able to see before the "can't fork" error.
The problem is reversible, i.e., there doesn't seem to be a memory leak, only that the free pages are allowed to get a bit too low. I think that if the lower limit is adjusted upwards a bit, this problem will not exist.
FYI, changes in 'mm' improved the performance. A kernel compile now takes 120 seconds, down from 300.
Cheers, Dick Johnson ***** FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED ***** Penguin : Linux version 2.2.1 on an i686 machine (400.59 BogoMips). Warning : It's hard to remain at the trailing edge of technology. Wisdom : It's not a Y2K problem. It's a Y2Day problem.
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