#### "The Linux Gazette...making Linux just a little more fun!"

# The Answer Guy

#### By James T. Dennis, linux-questions-only@ssc.com
Starshine Technical Services, http://www.starshine.org/

### Max Open Files and Inodes: Use The Entries under `/proc`

From 4th Dimension Webmaster on Thu, 31 Dec 1998

Hi , i have a DUAL 400MHz Pentium 2 processor which runs 400+ processes. In kernel 2.0.x i had to increase max processes in tasks.h, and nr_files and nr_inodes in fs.h.

I tried kernel 2.1.131, it was much more efficient with the dual processors and everything ran more smooth, except one problem. there is no "nr_inodes" in fs.h. So when ever i hit around 400 processes , it was out of file descriptors and couldnt spawn any other processes. If you know how to over come this problem please let me know.

> You should be able to just 'echo' the desired values into the proper nodes under the `/proc` filesystem.

> Those would be something like:

> > /proc/sys/kernel/file-max
> > /proc/sys/kernel/file-nr
> > /proc/sys/kernel/inode-max
> > /proc/sys/kernel/inode-nr

> ... though I just snarfed those in while running a 2.0.x. I'll need to fetch a 2.1.132 and start a new round of tests on that kernel.

> In any event --- the nodes should be under `/proc` somewhere -- and you can just use 'echo' with standard shell redirection to put new values into these at run-time.

> Somewhere on the 'net there is a FAQ or HOWTO that describes this and gives sample values. I think the max inodes should be about 3 times the max open files. Anyway, take a look through the Kernel mailing list FAQ at:

> > http://www.tux.org/lkml.html

##### Copyright © 1999, James T. Dennis
Published in The Linux Gazette Issue 37 February 1999

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