Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mailrus!nrl-cmf!ames!sgi!jmb
From: jmb@patton.SGI.COM (Jim Barton)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.microport
Subject: Re: need to raise ulimit
Message-ID: <12349@sgi.SGI.COM>
Date: 8 Mar 88 01:33:43 GMT
References: <22686@clyde.ATT.COM>
Sender: daemon@sgi.SGI.COM
Organization: Silicon Graphics Inc, Mountain View, CA
Lines: 37
Keywords: ulimit microport 286 process size
Summary: KSH is a BAAADDD program

In article <22686@clyde.ATT.COM>, wtr@moss.ATT.COM writes:
...
> 
> 2)	I was compiling the source to the Korn Shell the
> 	other night ( large model, no optimizing :-(
> 	I finally got all the modules compiled and linked,
> 	but when I type 'ksh' the system procedes to dump
> 	core big time, and the shell never executes.
> 	The executable is about 120 kb after linking,
> 	with no stripping.  Anyone had similar experiences?
> 	Is it the kernal? compiler? linker? Am steeling myself
> 	for sbd-ing soon (AACCKKTH!)
> 
...
> Bill Rankin
> Bell Labs, Whippany NJ
> (201) 386-4154 (cornet 232)
> 
> email address:		...![ ihnp4 ulysses cbosgd allegra ]!moss!wtr
> 			...![ ihnp4 cbosgd akgua watmath  ]!clyde!wtr
> =====================================================================

The K-shell is written to assume that the size of an integer is the same
size as a pointer.  In the 286 large model, an integer is 16 bits, and
a pointer 32.  There is no workaround, this is just plain bad coding
practice.

Best bet is to compile ksh small model with everything but your favorite edit
mode turned off (e.g., -DVSH or -DESH) and make sure to optimize it.  It will
then fit (just barely) in the small model, where the size of an integer
really is the same as the size of a pointer.

So much for portable code.

-- Jim Barton
From the UNIX asylum at SiliconGraphics, Inc.
jmb@sgi.sgi.com,  sgi!jmb@decwrl.dec.com, ...{decwrl,sun}!sgi!jmb