Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!snorkelwacker!bloom-beacon!LARRY.MCRCIM.MCGILL.EDU!mouse
From: mouse@LARRY.MCRCIM.MCGILL.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re:  X server has too few connections - how to increase ?
Message-ID: <9010031854.AA24228@Larry.McRCIM.McGill.EDU>
Date: 3 Oct 90 18:54:52 GMT
Sender: root@athena.mit.edu (Wizard A. Root)
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 41

> I am running a program that requires (in certain tests) 64 xterms or
> XView shelltools to be open at the same time.  When I try and run
> this program under the standard MIT X server, I get a message along
> the lines of "too many connections".  I have RTFMed the man pages and
> there doesn't seem to be any way short of recompiling the server to
> increase the number of connections the X server is allowed to make.

I don't think there is.  The basic problem is that it's running out of
file descriptors.

> What I want to know is whether this connection limit (which seems to
> be set at 64 at the moment) can be increased, and if so how.  If it
> means server recompilation, the locations of the files and what need
> to be changed in them would be much appreciated (I had a look and
> couldn't find anything obvious).

I remember commenting here that the server really should be capable of
forking a multiplexor process when necessary.  The only response was a
snarky message saying something like "no, the proper solution is to
upgrade to a real operating system" - meaning a release that supports
more than 30 file descriptors.  Apparently even "real" operating
systems are too limiting for some applications.

Anyway, I found the same problem (only more severe) when using the
server with xdm under Sun release 3.5 (which has a maximum of more like
30).  So I did hack in a multiplexor subprocess.  It works, but not
particularly well.  In particular, it does not know how to fork more
than one multiplexor; they are not created on demand.  It would need a
good deal of work to get it in shape for general use.

Also, there is currently a limit of (I think) 128 clients somewhere in
the dix layer; I didn't look at increasing that.

If anyone wants, I can put together the hacks I have and make it
available somewhere, but be warned that the result will definitely not
be a plug-and-play solution.

					der Mouse

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			new: mouse@larry.mcrcim.mcgill.edu