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Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 10:26:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug White <dwhite@riley-net170-164.uoregon.edu>
Reply-To: dwhite@resnet.uoregon.edu
To: Network Coordinator <nc@ai.net>
cc: questions@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: -stable can't allocate string space?
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On Sun, 2 Jun 1996, Network Coordinator wrote:

> I have noticed that a particular -stable machine [up for about 19 days] 
> after a certain point will no longer allow su's to root. [They'll run, 
> but take forever to return, or return immediately w/o real power]. 
> 
> At the console, the errors reported include execve can't allocate string 
> space. A number of processes terminate with signals 6 and 11.
> 
> Any ideas what this is?

Out of memory?  Out of swap?  

Sounds like you have a runaway program.  Check top or systat -pigs.

Doug White                              | University of Oregon  
Internet:  dwhite@resnet.uoregon.edu    | Residence Networking Assistant
http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~dwhite    | Computer Science Major