Re: [PATCH] Prevent OOM from killing init

Gérard Roudier
2001-03-24T12:52:04Z

On Fri, 23 Mar 2001, Stephen E. Clark wrote:

> Alan Cox wrote:
> >
> > > You don't beleve me if I tell you: DOS extender and JVM (Java Virtual
> > > Machine)
> >
> > The JVM doesnt actually. The JVM will itself spontaenously explode in real
> > life when out of memory. Maybe the JVM on a DOS extender 8)
> >
> > -
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>
> Back in the early nineties I was working with 18 developers on a Data
> General Aviion running DGUX. The system had only 16mb of memory and
> 600mb of disk. We were all continuously going thru the edit, compile,
> debug steps developing as large Computer Aided Dispatch System. Never
> did this system with its limited resources crash, or randomly start
> killing user or system processes.

What about the following (it is an estimate):

early nineties --> early eighties
18 developers --> 18 developers
16mb of memory --> 1 mb of memory
600 mb of disk --> 70 mb of disk

Most current applications are so huge BLOATAGE that they should not
deserve to be run just once. :-)
The kernel must try to cope with that and also with its own BLOATAGE.

Human nature is to eat what can be eaten, regardless if it is useful or
not.

> My $.02.

What about 'My M$.02' in some decades. :)

Btw, 'decade' comes from Latin 'deca'=10 and dies=days (not sure for
dies). As a result, it should have meant a period of 10 days instead of 10
years. It means a period of 10 days in French.

May-be, a knowledgeable person at this list has an explanation for this
misinterpretation. Could it be due to the word 'decadent' that has a
very different ethymology.

10 days is too short for getting decadent, but 10 years should be enough,
no ? :-)

> Steve

Gérard.