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From: mouse@mcgill-vision.UUCP (der Mouse)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Sun OS obscure error message query - (nf)
Message-ID: <752@mcgill-vision.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 1-May-87 23:45:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: mcgill-v.752
Posted: Fri May  1 23:45:27 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 9-May-87 18:06:12 EDT
References: <10@citcom.UUCP> <8200007@iaoobelix.UUCP>
Organization: McGill University, Montreal
Lines: 30

In article <8200007@iaoobelix.UUCP>, wagner@iaoobelix.UUCP writes:
>> Every now and then, the console screen on our sun 3/50, 3/180
>> network fills with the repeating message "text: table is full";
>> [...] We noticed the string by a "strings /unix" as well, [...]

That just destroyed a lot of your accuracy credibility for me - on Suns
it's called /vmunix!  If I can't be confident you've reported
accurately, it's much harder to diagnose.  It also helps if you say
what version you are running (3.0, 3.2, etc).

> I have also encountered this problem on our Suns. It just tells you
> that you have been using your swap space a bit generously... The
> message can be repeated quite easy[sic]: [run pgms to gobble memory]

Except that "text: table is full" is not that problem.  Text table is
full means that too many distinct programs are running at once.  A
program which is loaded with -z format (which is the default), when
executed, has the text segment read-only and shared among all processes
(on that machine) executing that program.  There is a hard maximum,
compiled into the kernel, on the number of such text segments active.
When the kernel runs out, you get "text: table is full".  I have gotten
this message under circumstances that convince me that the Sun kernel
(version 3.0, at least) loses slots, that is, it will sometimes leave
them marked as in use when they really aren't, so eventually there are
none left even if there aren't many processes running.  Only fix I know
of is to reboot the complaining machine.

					der Mouse

				(mouse@mcgill-vision.uucp)