[comp.unix.wizards] Can 'cp' kill a system if the disk is full??

cjohnson@unisoft.UUCP (Christopher Lyle Johnson) (04/14/88)

Actually, on some systems there is a problem when the
/usr file system fills up.  If the errordaemon attempts
to log errors to /usr/ and the console is sufficiently
slow, the kernel printf's may swallow the whole cpu.

It isn't pretty.

					cj*

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mangler@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu (Don Speck) (04/26/88)

Trying to write to a full disk may not crash Unix, but on 4.2bsd
typing ^S to the resulting "filesystem full" messages will freeze
all of the ttys (and the console) until you type the corresponding ^Q.

(Fortunately rshd doesn't use pty's).

Don Speck   speck@vlsi.caltech.edu  {amdahl,ames!elroy}!cit-vax!speck