NAME

ulimit − get and set process limits

SYNOPSIS

#include <ulimit.h>

long ulimit(int cmd, /∗ newlimit ∗/ ...);

DESCRIPTION

This function provides for control over process limits.  The cmd values available are:

UL_GETFSIZE
Get the regular file size limit of the process. The limit is in units of 512-byte blocks and is inherited by child processes. Files of any size can be read.

UL_SETFSIZE
Set the regular file size limit of the process to the value of newlimit , taken as a long.  Any process may decrease this limit, but only a process with an effective user ID of super-user may increase the limit. 

UL_GMEMLIM
Get the maximum possible break value (see brk(2)). 

UL_GDESLIM
Get the current value of the maximum number of open files per process configured in the system.

The getrlimit() and setrlimit() functions provide a more general interface for controlling process limits. 

RETURN VALUES

Upon successful completion, a non-negative value is returned.  Otherwise, a value of −1 is returned and errno is set to indicate the error. 

ERRORS

ulimit() fails if the following is true:

EINVAL The cmd argument is not valid. 

EPERM The effective user of the calling process is not super-user. 

SEE ALSO

brk(2), getrlimit(2), write(2)

NOTES

ulimit() is effective in limiting the growth of regular files.  Pipes are limited to {PIPE_MAX} bytes. 

SunOS 5.1  —  Last change: 29 Jul 1991