[Bug 391761] Re: process limit unlimited (regression)

[Steve Langasek]

On Mon, Nov 28, 2011 at 11:03:45AM -0000, Jan Rathmann wrote:
> I just did the "fork bomb test" (entering :(){ :|:&};: in a terminal) on
> my Oneiric installation, and it still crashes the system.

How does it "crash"?

What does 'ulimit -u' show from a terminal on this system?

> This should not happen if I get this report right, so perhaps the report
> should be re-opened?

Probably not.  PAM is now correctly getting its defaults from the kernel; if
one of those defaults is inadequate, there should be a new bug filed against
the kernel.

-- 
Steve Langasek                   Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer                   to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer                                    http://www.debian.org/
slangasek at ubuntu.com                                     vorlon at debian.org

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/391761

Title:
  process limit unlimited (regression)

Status in “pam” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  AFAIK, RLIMIT_NPROC is determined by the kernel based on available
  physical memory.  In my 512M VMs, I see the following results of
  "ulimit -u":

  dapper: unlimited
  hardy, intrepid: 4095
  jaunty, karmic: unlimited

  The intention is to have this set to in an attempt to reasonably
  mitigate fork-bombs without getting in the way of intentionally big
  process collections.  Jaunty and Karmic appear to have regressed.  I
  am assuming this is a PAM bug, but it may be a kernel issue.  Tracking
  RLIMIT setting has always eluded me.  :)

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