Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!ginosko!uunet!peregrine!ccicpg!cci632!rit!tropix!ur-valhalla!uhura.cc.rochester.edu!rochester!rutgers!apple!sun-barr!decwrl!shelby!labrea!cdp!jeff
From: jeff@cdp.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Procomm HELP!
Message-ID: <140700003@cdp>
Date: 15 Aug 89 17:45:29 GMT
References: <3816@cps3xx.uucp>
Lines: 22
Nf-ID: #R:cps3xx.uucp:3816:cdp:140700003:000:922
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!jeff    Jul 18 20:27:00 1989


Using "> nul" in autoexec files redirects output to the "NUL" device,
which is a nonexistent device that serves to consume all output.

However, when output from a memory resident program ("TSR") is
redirected, the TSR continues to run "in the background", and keeps
the file descriptor open.  For each TSR whose output is redirected,
there is one less file descriptor that is available to applications
program like Procomm.

The problems you saw with Procomm were a result of Procomm running
out of file descriptors.

To get around this problem, you might be able to increase the maximum
number of open file descriptors.  Check the value of FILES= in your
config.sys file.  If it is less than 20, then set it to 20 (without
extra work, 20 is about as high as you can go).  And of course, you
can always remove the "> nul" from your autoexec file.

        Jeff Dean
        uunet!pyramid!cdp!jeff
        hplabs!cdp!jeff