Manage Process Limits

Terminal commands may be used to check and increase the number of processes (process limit) available to the user in the current CSE Labs login session.

Process limits are per login session and independent of each other. Each login (including via ssh) and each terminal window, has its own limit.

Default Process Limit: A login session begins with a default of limit of 2,500 processes.
Maximum Process Limit: The process limit can be increased up to 10,000 processes.

Checking Process Limits

Run the following command in your terminal:
- For bash (default terminal)
  ulimit -u
- For csh or tcsh
  limit maxproc
The terminal output is the current process limit.
Example:
ulimit -u
2500

Increasing Process Limits

Run the following command in your terminal:
- For bash (default terminal)
  ulimit -u <new-limit>
- For csh or tcsh
  limit maxproc <new-limit>
- Where <new-limit> is the desired process limit.
Example:
ulimit -u 3500
Warning: If you decrease your process limit, it cannot be increased in that terminal. Use a new terminal session to increase process limits.