Operation Manual

18.1.4 The locate Command
locate, a command for quickly nding les, is not included in the standard scope of
installed software. If desired, install the package findutils-locate. The updatedb
process is started automatically every night or about 15 minutes after booting the system.
18.1.5 The ulimit Command
With the ulimit (user limits) command, it is possible to set limits for the use of system
resources and to have these displayed. ulimit is especially useful for limiting available
memory for applications. With this, an application can be prevented from co-opting
too much of the system resources and slowing or even hanging up the operating system.
ulimit can be used with various options. To limit memory usage, use the options
listed in Table 18.1, “ulimit: Setting Resources for the User” (page 269).
Table 18.1
ulimit: Setting Resources for the User
The maximum resident set size
-m
The maximum amount of virtual memory available to the
shell
-v
The maximum size of the stack
-s
The maximum size of core les created
-c
All current limits are reported
-a
Systemwide entries can be made in /etc/profile. There, enable creation of core
les (needed by programmers for debugging). A normal user cannot increase the values
specied in /etc/profile by the system administrator, but can make special entries
in ~/.bashrc.
Special System Features 269