ps gives error

[Stephen P. Schaefer]

Just today we saw this problem (ps & df complaining about memory) on a
few Vaxstation 2000's with about 16 megabytes of virtual memory
running Ultrix 3.0, no DecWindows.  You are probably running out of
virtual memory.  For our variety of processes, the biggest culprit was
an X server with SZ > 6 meg of virtual space, according to ps -aux
(when we could run ps).  I don't understand the server's memory use.
We have never observed the server grow smaller, regardless of numbers
or size of clients.  Workstations with similar (of course, not
identical) job mixes, numbers of clients, window managers and up time
will have X servers using only 2 meg.

I killed the X server and it restarted using a mere 1 1/2 meg; I am
now checking it every time something infrequent happens (window
glitches and assorted whimsy); it's grown less than 100k in the last
four hours.

--
	Stephen P. Schaefer, Postmaster	MCNC
	sps at mcnc.org			P.O. Box 12889
	...!mcnc!sps			RTP, NC 27709