malloc does not return null when out of memory

[Brooks Davis]

On Thu, Jul 24, 2003 at 12:36:54AM +0200, Matthias Buelow wrote:
> Barney Wolff writes:
> 
> >One might argue that this is a config error, and ulimit should be used
> >to cut the address space to below actually available memory.
> 
> Wasn't there a sysctl flag to enable/disable overcommitting?
> I think I remember something but I can't find it; it might
> not have been on FreeBSD.

No there isn't.  Overcommit is a fundamental design feature of the BSD
VM.  If you don't like it, find an OS that doesn't do it.  The only one
I can think of off the top of my head in Irix where I've found it to be
a serious pain in the ass.

-- Brooks

-- 
Any statement of the form "X is the one, true Y" is FALSE.
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