Re: 2.4.8 Resource leaks + limits

[Szabolcs Szakacsits]

On Fri, 17 Aug 2001, Rik van Riel wrote:
> The fix is to disable the check for RLIMIT_NPROC in
> kernel/fork.c when the user is root. I made this patch
> a while back for Conectiva's kernel RPM and sent it off
> to Alan and Linus.
> This fix was merged in the -ac kernels while Linus just
> ignored it.

That's funny. This problem came up in linux-kernel in last year
November by Jan Rekorajski purposing basically the same patch,
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&safe=off&th=6507453d081541,15&seekm=linux.kernel.20001128221155.G2680%40sith.mimuw.edu.pl#p

Everybody told him, including Alan, go away and fix PAM. He went away
and fixed PAM in 2 days. Up to day none of the main distributions ship
the correct[ly configured] PAM, so the problem still bites. Feel free to
rebut me.

Personally I think Linus was right when he didn't apply the patch. If
one sets RLIMIT_NPROC even for root in a shell, he expects EAGAIN when
limit is hit and not to blow up the system.

	Szaka