[comp.os.os9] Memory Madness.

zambotti@wpowz.enet.dec.com (Walter Zambotti DEC) (07/01/91)

Hi again.

I have a a CC3 with OS9 Lvl 2 and I noticed a strange thing when
iniz'ing the /r0 ram disk.

If I type this command frmo the shell prompt :

	os9>iniz /r0
	os9>mfree
	... 240k ...

And do a mfree I end up with 240k of free memory.  But if I place the
above command in a shell script and execute the script from the shell I
end up with 232k of free memory.  Why?

	os9>list initram
	iniz /r0

	os9>initram
	os9>mfree
	... 232k ...

Know here may be a clue!  If after performing the iniz I do this :

	os9>iniz r0
	os9>deiniz r0
	os9>mfree
	... 432k ...

But if I execute the shell script I cannot deiniz the ram disk.  Is
there some phantom process which is holding a path open to the ram
disk?

	os9>initram
	os9>deiniz r0
	os9>mfree
	... 232k ...

Would anyone else like to try this out.

session@seq.uncwil.edu (Zack C. Sessions) (07/01/91)

zambotti@wpowz.enet.dec.com (Walter Zambotti DEC) writes:

>If I type this command frmo the shell prompt :

>	os9>iniz /r0
>	os9>mfree
>	... 240k ...

>And do a mfree I end up with 240k of free memory.  But if I place the
>above command in a shell script and execute the script from the shell I
>end up with 232k of free memory.  Why?

Cuz a shell script (more accuratly referred to in OS-9 as a "procedure
file") is executed in a child Shell process. This additional process
in the system takes up another 8K since EVERY process requires a minimum
of 8K in the system map. Buy Kev's book.


Zack C. Sessions
session@seq.uncwil.edu
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