... and be sure the file system containing TMPDIR is not mounted
with softdeps.

On Fri, Oct 25, 2002 at 07:23:10PM +0200, Jaromir Dolecek wrote:
> Your system is likely thrashing. Don't you happen to have MFS /tmp?
> If yes, try to set TMPDIR=/var/tmp (and export) in your environment
> before running vmware.
> 
> Jaromir 
> 
> Germano Cesari wrote:
> > Hi, just a newbie question:
> > 
> > Im using vmware 2.0.4 that comes among the packages of the NetBSD 1.6 6
> > CD distribution, I actually didnt have any problem installing linux
> > emulation and running netscape, acrobat reader or even vmware, but
> > there's something that really puzzles me...
> > 
> > Im running NetBSD on a PIII 733 with only 128Mb, and IFF I set the total
> > memory of a vmware virtual machine at > 32Mb, the ENTIRE NetBSD system
> > would start slooooowing more and more, ignoring any mouse movements,
> > till a final total system hang (no mouse, no keyb, clock frozen, no hdd
> > activity, NO REMOTE CONNETCIONS, and so on, you got the point I
> > guess...), where a power off is the only solution?
> > 
> > just to know, can some1 explain me how is this possible? I mean: that a
> > process can cause a total system crash? I tought the kernel had control
> > over every process running, eventually taking care of memory alloc. &
> > the like, preventing runaways from crashing everything... now, how come
> > vmware is able to get control over the entire system? has it something
> > to do with the lkm(s) vmware installs? do they "modify" the kernel in a
> > way that allows vmware to gain hardware control in a way not usually
> > possible for other processes? (Ive noted vmware accesses hardware device
> > independently of NetBSD, "directly" Id say)
> > 
> > if so, would it mean that running vmware (or loading his kernel 
> > modules) can make the entire system unstable? is it possible to write a
> > kernel module that modifies the kernel making a total system crash
> > possible (or even achievable)?
> > 
> > thnx in advance :)
> > 
> > Germano
> > 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Jaromir Dolecek <jdolecek@NetBSD.org>            http://www.NetBSD.org/
> -=- We should be mindful of the potential goal, but as the tantric    -=-
> -=- Buddhist masters say, ``You may notice during meditation that you -=-
> -=- sometimes levitate or glow.   Do not let this distract you.''     -=-

-- 
Juergen Hannken-Illjes - hannken@eis.cs.tu-bs.de - TU Braunschweig (Germany)