linux-kernel - Re: Is it possible to give the user the option to cancel forkbombs?

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Message-ID: <47456FFC.5090806@davidnewall.com>
Date:	Thu, 22 Nov 2007 22:33:08 +1030
From:	David Newall <david@...idnewall.com>
To:	Ubuntu@...abundo.net, Ubuntu-reply@...abundo.net,
	ubuntu-devel-discuss@...ts.ubuntu.com, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Is it possible to give the user the option to cancel forkbombs?

(``-_-´´) -- Fernando wrote:
> I used to see stuff like this happening on my University students test servers. Once they started doing forks inside for(;;), the server would go down.
> Then they replaced the servers by vwmare machines, and now reboots are faster.
>   

UNIX (and Linux) already has a feature for use in case of forkbombs, 
namely keeping a shell available, at a high priority, from which you 
manage a wide range of undesired situations.  There isn't, that I know 
of, any program which responds to a magic key and does the work, but I 
think it can be written without requiring any additional kernel support.

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