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From: pcc@apollo.HP.COM (Peter Craine)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: Re: memory hungry init?
Message-ID: <47ef7501.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM>
Date: 9 Jan 90 18:00:00 GMT
References: <1372@merlin.bhpmrl.oz>
Sender: root@apollo.HP.COM
Reply-To: pcc@APOLLO.COM
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Chelmsford Response Center
Lines: 48


  (If this works, I'll be moderately impressed.  I've not been able to post
to this group for a while).

In article <1372@merlin.bhpmrl.oz>, robinb@merlin.bhpmrl.oz (Robin
Brown) writes:
> 
> Has anybody encountered a situation where the init process grows to
> excessive proportions and brings the system to its knees?
>

Several possibilities (both having to do with /etc/ttys):

    1) /etc/ttys has a device turned "on", but the device isn't
         there, and something funny is happening to DTR/CARRIER
         (pins 20 and 8, respectively).

    2) You have the /dev/pty?? devices turned 'on' (NEVER DO THIS)

    3) You have incorrectly specified the syntax for "getty"
	Proper example:
          tty01  "/etc/getty std.9600" dumb on secure
        Improper example:
          tty01  /etc/getty std.9600 dumb on secure
       Yes, the quotes are significant.  Any field whose contents require
		whitespace MUST be enclosed in quotes.

What do all of these have in common, and, therefore, why does the system
bog down?  Well, for every device that has 'on' in the 4th field, init
tries to launch the program in the 2nd field (with the specified arguments).
When that program exits, SIGCLD (or SIGCHLD, I'm not really certain) gets
delivered to init (the parent).  Init, sees:
		a) a "getty" process died, and
		b) the line is turned on
figures that whoever logged onto the line just logged out, so it must
be time to re-launch the process.


> 
> Apollo(/HP) have seen this sort of thing before but they don't know
> what causes it.  The only known solution is to rebuild the machine,

Who told you this?  50 lashes with a soggy noodle to whoever did.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Peter Craine                +  "Sometimes you have to slap them in the face
    Hewlett-Packard             +       to get their attention."
    Chelmsford Response Center  +  *I* don't want my opinions.  Why would HP?