SUMMARY: system(3) and free swap space

From: V{{r{nen Kari (kjv@tampella.fi)
Date: Thu May 16 1991 - 05:52:17 CDT


I got some good responses once again! This list is really something...

I originally asked about system(3) function which doesn't work if
there isn't enough virtual memory left (ie. available swap space).
However, with SunOS4.1 and 4.1.1 there was a lot of free swap space
left and the system() still didn't work! As a matter of fact, the
system() doesn't work if you don't have at least as much memory left
as the process doing system() call has already reserved!

There seems to be a bug in 4.1 and 4.1.1. The system() uses fork()
instead of vfork() and thus duplicates the entire process before
exec().

Skip even knew the right patch IDs, which are:
100266-01 libc-4.1.1: libc replacement (with U.S. encryption)
100267-01 libc-4.1.1: libc replacement

The bug ID seems to be (according to Skip):
1051619 system() uses fork() instead of vfork()

My thanks to:
        skip%skipsun@fsg.com (Skip Gilbrech)
        per@erix.ericsson.se (Per Hedeland)
        stevo@elroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (Steve Groom)
        knutson@sw.mcc.com (Jim Knutson)

                Yours,

                        Kari Vaaranen

---
Kari Vaaranen              *  (So long, and thanks for all the fish!)
Tampella Papertech Oy      *    email INTERNET   : kjv@tampella.fi
P.O.BOX 267, SF-33101      *    Phone internat.  : +358 31 2412434
Tampere, FINLAND           *    Telefax internat.: +358 31 115440



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