# Max memory size

**URL:** <https://forums.suse.com/t/max-memory-size/26647>\
**Category:** SLES Configure-Administer\
**Created:** [February 4, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/max-memory-size/26647 "2015-02-04T13:33:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aarded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@aarded](https://forums.suse.com/u/aarded)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/max-memory-size/26647/1 "2015-02-04T13:33:37Z")

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Hi,

We have 64 GB of memory, but when I ask “ulimit -a”, it shows only 53GB. ulimit -aS gives the same values.

core file size (blocks, -c) 1  
data seg size (kbytes, -d) unlimited  
scheduling priority (-e) 0  
file size (blocks, -f) unlimited  
pending signals (-i) 515567  
max locked memory (kbytes, -l) 64  
max memory size (kbytes, -m) 56103908  
open files (-n) 1024  
pipe size (512 bytes, -p) 8  
POSIX message queues (bytes, -q) 819200  
real-time priority (-r) 0  
stack size (kbytes, -s) 8192  
cpu time (seconds, -t) unlimited  
max user processes (-u) 515567  
virtual memory (kbytes, -v) 66227600  
file locks (-x) unlimited

How is it possible? What can be the cause of it? How can I ajust it?

tnx.

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**Author:** ![ab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@ab1](https://forums.suse.com/u/ab1)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 1:40pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/max-memory-size/26647/2 "2015-02-04T13:40:39Z")

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ulimit doesn’t show possible physical memory; you should use ‘free’ for that.

ulimit’s purpose is to impose a limit on processes that need to use  
memory. By definition (as I recall) it also does not apply to root-owned  
processes, so a lot of server stuff, and of course the kernel does not  
apply as it is above anything user-related (ring zero).

–  
Good luck.

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**Author:** ![Jens-U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d78d45/32.png) [@Jens-U](https://forums.suse.com/u/Jens-U)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://forums.suse.com/t/max-memory-size/26647/3 "2015-02-04T18:36:12Z")

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Hi aarded,

[QUOTE=aarded;26176]Hi,

We have 64 GB of memory, but when I ask “ulimit -a”, it shows only 53GB. ulimit -aS gives the same values.

core file size (blocks, -c) 1  
data seg size (kbytes, -d) unlimited  
scheduling priority (-e) 0  
file size (blocks, -f) unlimited  
pending signals (-i) 515567  
max locked memory (kbytes, -l) 64  
max memory size (kbytes, -m) 56103908  
open files (-n) 1024  
pipe size (512 bytes, -p) 8  
POSIX message queues (bytes, -q) 819200  
real-time priority (-r) 0  
stack size (kbytes, -s) 8192  
cpu time (seconds, -t) unlimited  
max user processes (-u) 515567  
virtual memory (kbytes, -v) 66227600  
file locks (-x) unlimited

How is it possible? What can be the cause of it? How can I ajust it?

tnx.[/QUOTE]

as “ab” already pointed out, “ulimit” shows the resource limits imposed on your environment by the admin (or system defaults). The given numbers don’t have much to do with physical resources.

From “man bash”:

[QUOTE]ulimit [-SHacdefilmnpqrstuvx [limit]]  
Provides control over the resources available to the shell and to processes started by it, on systems that allow such control.[…][/QUOTE]

Have a look at /etc/security/limits.conf for current limits defined on your system.

Regards,  
Jens