Fwd: trying to update avast definitions

[Perry]

Le Sunday 25 April 2010 23.28:19 ray burke, vous avez écrit (you wrote) :
>  I received this from avast but don't comprehend?
[snip] 
>  Hello,
>  some people might report that avast4linux/Workstation doesn't work with
>  latest VPS (problem started with 100328-1 for them). The reason is that
>  "macro"-block in 400.vps is now depacked to something bigger than
>  33554432 bytes - this is an artificial SHM block limitation in some
>  Linux kernels (kernel.shmmax).
No idea what SHM stands for, perhaps Short Hold Mode or Safehold Mode 
according to <http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/SHM>. I didn't dig this 
question further.
> 
>  Solution? Set the limit to higher values (as root):
> 
>  sysctl -w kernel.shmmax=128000000
I have sysctl in /sbin, all I know is it's an executable that appears to 
modify this SMH limitation, and obviously the next line does just the same.
>   OR
>  echo 128000000 >/proc/sys/kernel/shmmax
The command echo copies what follows and is redirected with the ">" sign onto 
the file proc/sys/kernel/shmmax.
I indeed have such a file and it contains the value 33554432
(that is on Karmic)
> 
>  Place those lines to /etc/init.d/rcS or equivalent file
My /etc/init.d/rcS contains the line "exec /etc/init.d/rc S", which means it 
calls another executable script in /etc/init.d/rc (no idea what the following 
"S" does", nor did I figure exactly what that last script was meant to do but 
is say as a comment "# Call all S??* scripts in /etc/rcS.d/ in 
numerical/alphabetical order".

Why all this?
I guess (only a guess) that the change  from the value 33554432 to 128000000 
would be overwritten at every reboot  (it means the file proc/sys/kernel/shmmax 
would be rewritten) and that to make the change last it has to be (re)executed 
in some script that happens early enough after boot.

>  (it's
>  distribution-specific a bit - see /etc/inittab, the sysinit runlevel) to
>  have them set automatically (after boot).
I have no such file.
> 

Now to practical help.
All I figured here was from using Dolphin and Kate, not as root, but I didn't 
try to make change (which might have needed root privileges)

So what you do:

First read the file proc/sys/kernel/shmmax and see if it it contains the 
value33554432. Use Kmenu, normally at the bottom-left of the screen, 
applications/utilities...Kate    ; and navigate up and down until you find 
proc/sys/kernel/shmmax. (there are undoubtedly ways of getting this info from 
a command line but I don' remember)
If you see this value of 33554432 it may be the problem.

So as I would favor a gui (grasphical user interface) I would use 
KMenu/applications/system/Termial to Have as command line and then issue in it 
the command :"skdeudo kate  /etc/init.d/rcS (you have to input your root-
password)  
and type the command in the Kate window 
"echo 128000000 >/proc/sys/kernel/shmmax"
The "kdesudo" paqrt is to enable the graphical (kde) program Kate to read and 
write as root.

Now I'm not an expert, I cannot provide more help unless I get more precise 
questions   (about what you know and  dunno) and to the limit of my own 
ignorance.

I wish to learn myself more through this this thread, as I'm trying to help 
you.

HTH  	Perry


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