maemo.org Bugzilla – Bug 5824
Maximum number of pseudo terminals too low (4)
Last modified: 2010-03-15 20:56:59 UTC
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SOFTWARE VERSION: 1.2009.41-10 STEPS TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM: 1. Start 4 osso-xterms and/or inbound ssh sessions. 2. Try to start another, or update some packages with the application manager etc. EXPECTED OUTCOME: System able to cope with reasonable requests for ptys. ACTUAL OUTCOME: Only 4 ptys available. REPRODUCIBILITY: Always EXTRA SOFTWARE INSTALLED: OTHER COMMENTS: Problem package: mini-rc, file /etc/init.d/rcS: "echo 4 > /proc/sys/kernel/pty/max" ISTR a similar problem back in the 770 days, but I can't find the relevant bug. In Diablo /proc/sys/kernel/pty/max is set to 16 which is a reasonable value.
Question in int-99726 is "I don't know the ramifications such a change might have". Error should still be "Unspecified error" when trying to open the 5th one.
(In reply to comment #1) > Question in int-99726 is "I don't know the ramifications such a change might > have". The only ramification is the kernel using a few more bytes of RAM, and there's no other change required (the corresponding character special device files are created automagically in the devfs filesystem). Note that 4 is not the kernel default, but just an arbitrary value applied by the init script. FWIW with the out-of-the-box 16 ptys in Diablo I never hit this problem. See also the previous fix: <http://lists.maemo.org/pipermail/maemo-commits/2007-November/009969.html> which mentions NB#71003.
This is definitely a regression from the Diablo days. As pointed out, Diablo's default is 16. I doubt a device that, in addition to having the Diablo-running-devices' 256MB of RAM, has 768MB of swap cannot handle some more PTYs. This bug also affects the Application Manager's ability to install stuff when having 4 Terminals open.
Workaround: sudo gainroot echo -n 16 > /proc/sys/kernel/pty/max the -n is important.
The workaround is not needed; editing /etc/init.d/rcS as mentioned in #1 makes the change permanent. The point of this bug is getting Nokia to revert this idiotic change which has caused a regression.
Still present in 1.2009.42-11 Workaround/fix still works.
This has been fixed in package mini-rc 0.2.67+0m5 which is part of the internal build version 2009.52-9 (Note: 2009 is the year, and the number after is the week.) A future public update released with the year/week later than this internal build version will include the fix. (This is not always already the next public update.) Please verify that this new version fixes the bug by marking this bug report as VERIFIED after the public update has been released and if you have some time. To answer popular followup questions: * Nokia does not announce release dates of public updates in advance. * There is currently no access to these internal, non-public build versions. A Brainstorm proposal to change this exists at http://maemo.org/community/brainstorm/view/undelayed_bugfix_releases_for_nokia_open_source_packages-002/
*** Bug 7638 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
(In reply to comment #7) > This has been fixed in package > mini-rc 0.2.67+0m5 > which is part of the internal build version > 2009.52-9 I have updated to 3.2010.02-8 (via SSU) and /proc/sys/kernel/pty/max is still set to 4. dpkg -l mini-rc prints 0.2.66+0m5 so this fix is not part of 3.2010.02-8
Setting explicit PR1.2 milestone (so it's clearer in which public release the fix will be available to users). Sorry for the bugmail noise (you can filter on this message).