[NTLUG:Discuss] Apache question...error message

[Steve and Daphne Martindell]

Douglas King wrote:

> I host a BUNCH of virtual domains using Red Hat 7.3 and Apache.  I 
> have several different log files for each of the tld.  Last night....I 
> tried to load the final .conf file 429kB in size....and got the 
> following error message:
>
> ~~~~~~~~~
>
> [Wed Nov 6 01:57:37 2002] [warn] (24)Too many open files: unable to 
> open a file descriptor above 15, you may need to increase the number 
> of descriptors
> [Wed Nov 6 01:57:37 2002] [notice] Apache/1.3.23 (Unix) 
> (Red-Hat/Linux) mod_ssl/2.8.7 OpenSSL/0.9.6b DAV/1.0.3 PHP/4.1.2 
> mod_perl/1.26 configured -- resuming normal operations
> [Wed Nov 6 01:57:37 2002] [notice] suEXEC mechanism enabled (wrapper: 
> /usr/sbin/suexec)
> [Wed Nov 6 01:57:37 2002] [notice] Accept mutex: sysvsem (Default: 
> sysvsem)
> [Wed Nov 6 01:59:20 2002] [notice] SIGHUP received. Attempting to restart
> [Wed Nov 6 02:00:33 2002] [warn] (24)Too many open files: unable to 
> open a file descriptor above 15, you may need to increase the number 
> of descriptors
> [Wed Nov 6 02:00:33 2002] [notice] Apache/1.3.23 (Unix) 
> (Red-Hat/Linux) mod_ssl/2.8.7 OpenSSL/0.9.6b DAV/1.0.3 PHP/4.1.2 
> mod_perl/1.26 configured -- resuming normal operations
> [Wed Nov 6 02:00:33 2002] [notice] suEXEC mechanism enabled (wrapper: 
> /usr/sbin/suexec)[Wed Nov 6 02:00:33 2002] [notice] Accept mutex: 
> sysvsem (Default: sysvsem)
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> The kernel was re-compiled today thinking that was the problem...but 
> the error message keeps coming up.
>
> Do anyone have a solution for it?
>
> Remember...there a many virtual domains running on this web server.....
>
> I am running:
>
> Server version: Apache/1.3.23 (Unix)  (Red-Hat/Linux)
> Server built:   Jun 19 2002 11:55:23
>
> on an I686 box.....


In the system kernel configuration, there is a variable set for either 
FILES_OPEN
or NUM_FILES_OPEN that you have to change to be over 15.  This has been
a standard kernel variable since UNIX V by AT&T Lab, and Linux should 
have the
same thing.

You should be able to check the system configuration for this variable
and change it and recompile the kernel again.