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Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 11:08:45 -0500 (CDT)
From: Daniel Ortmann <ortmann@sparc.isl.net>
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Subject: kern/3259: /bin/ps: kernel kernel, lockups, performance problems
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>Number:         3259
>Category:       kern
>Synopsis:       /bin/ps: kernel kernel, lockups, performance problems
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       critical
>Priority:       high
>Responsible:    freebsd-bugs
>State:          open
>Class:          sw-bug
>Submitter-Id:   current-users
>Arrival-Date:   Fri Apr 11 21:00:01 PDT 1997
>Last-Modified:
>Originator:     Daniel Ortmann
>Organization:
n/a
>Release:        FreeBSD 3.0-CURRENT i386
>Environment:

I am running a lightly-loaded system with very few users (all myself).
My standard shell is bash2.

>Description:

I've been able to lockup my system, causing kernel panics, severe
performance problems, etc doing the following:

ps ax

That's all.  This began occurring on FreeBSD 3.0-current around 
Apr 4, 1997 (or in that general timeframe).

This has happened both running as a regular user and as root.

If more than a couple of these ps commands are done then the system
is unable to survive ... even a shutdown causes a panic.

Note: I've experienced performance problems as well.  These problems
have appeared to be in sendmail, the gcc compiler (a make world
now takes at least 3 times longer than before!)

>How-To-Repeat:

ps ax should do it.  if that doesn't, then try running it in bash2.
if that still doesn't do it, then try it in bash2 like this:
MYVAR=`ps axwwopid,command | grep 'p*s'`  ... that's what led
originally to my observing the problem.

>Fix:

I don't know how to fix it; I'm not a kernel hacker.
>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted: