[comp.unix.xenix] xenix vi and Tmp files

swirsky@olivee.olivetti.com (Robert Swirsky) (10/30/89)

I'm having vi problems. 
There's a file I have that is 338767 bytes long. I have edited this file
dozens of times in the past. Today, I tried to edit it with vi and I get
the message "Tmp file too large."

I have 55000+ blocks free on the device that holds the /tmp directory,
so there should be plenty of room. I checked the permissions on /tmp and
it is drwxrwxrwx, so that's not the problem.

Does anyone know what would make vi think it's out of /tmp space when
there seems to be plenty? ex, which is linked to the same program, gives
a similar complaint. The only thing I can think of is that the "Tmp file..."
message has *nothing* to do with the tmp directory.

Thanks!

swirsky@olivee.olivetti.com (Robert Swirsky) (10/30/89)

Here's a few more facts relating to my vi problem:
	vi will die whenever the /tmp file gets larger than 518144 bytes.
	This is exactly 506K  (i.e., 506 * 1024). I seem to
	remember in Unix there's a file that specifies the amount of
	space any one use can occupy in /tmp, but I can't seem to 
	find a similar thing in Xenix 2.3 (386).

	Also, as I said before, there's *plenty* of room on the device
	that holds /tmp. One thing I can't figure: If my text file is 
	only 300 or so K, why is the /tmp file so much bigger?

	
	

akcs.larry@nstar.UUCP (Larry Snyder) (10/30/89)

>the message "Tmp file too large."

What is your shell ulimit size?

dyer@spdcc.COM (Steve Dyer) (10/30/89)

In article <[254b8e65:142.1]comp.unix.xenix;1@nstar.UUCP> akcs.larry@nstar.UUCP (Larry Snyder) writes:
>>the message "Tmp file too large."
>
>What is your shell ulimit size?

This has nothing to do with ulimits or available space in /tmp.
When "vi" is compiled, it has a concept of the maximum file size
it can handle.  If your file is larger than this, you're out of luck,
unless you can convince your vendor to provide a modified "vi" binary
to handle it.  Maybe it's time to switch to GNU Emacs?




-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer
dyer@arktouros.mit.edu, dyer@hstbme.mit.edu