ulimit

NAME

ulimit - display or set process limits.

SYNOPSIS

ulimit [-acdfHnsStv] [n]

DESCRIPTION

The ulimit(1) command is a built-in Korn shell (ksh(1)) command that displays or sets process limits. The Korn shell supports, through ulimit(1), all limits defined by the setrlimit(2).

If no options are used, the file size limit (-f) is assumed. The value n, if specified, can be either an arithmetic expression or the word "unlimited." The limits affect the shell and any processes created by the shell after a limit is imposed. Note that some systems might not allow limits to be increased once they are set.

-a
Displays all limits; unless -H is used, soft limits are displayed.
-c n
Impose a size limit of n blocks on the size of core dumps.
-d n
Impose a size limit of n kilobytes on the size of the data area.
-f n
Impose a size limit of n blocks on files written by the shell and its child processes (files of any size can be read).
-H
Set the hard limit only (default is to set both hard and soft limits).
-n n
Impose a limit of n file descriptors that can be open at once.
-s n
Impose a size limit of n kilobytes on the size of the stack area.
-S
Set the soft limit only (default is to set both hard and soft limits).
-t n
Impose a time limit of n CPU seconds to be used by each process.
-v n
Impose a limit of n kilobytes on the amount of virtual memory used; on some systems this is the maximum allowable virtual address (in bytes, not kilobytes).

SEE ALSO

ksh(1)

setrlimit(2)