tree f0080c63a78a021cc3404e12e205e3b82e982427
parent b4236f81f2347096df650fb072f50d67bb6066a2
author Adam Tkac <vonsch@gmail.com> 1224133305 -0700
committer Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> 1224181291 -0700

rlimit: permit setting RLIMIT_NOFILE to RLIM_INFINITY

When a process wants to set the limit of open files to RLIM_INFINITY it
gets EPERM even if it has CAP_SYS_RESOURCE capability.

For example, BIND does:

...
#elif defined(NR_OPEN) && defined(__linux__)
        /*
         * Some Linux kernels don't accept RLIM_INFINIT; the maximum
         * possible value is the NR_OPEN defined in linux/fs.h.
         */
        if (resource == isc_resource_openfiles && rlim_value == RLIM_INFINITY) {
                rl.rlim_cur = rl.rlim_max = NR_OPEN;
                unixresult = setrlimit(unixresource, &rl);
                if (unixresult == 0)
                        return (ISC_R_SUCCESS);
        }
#elif ...

If we allow setting RLIMIT_NOFILE to RLIM_INFINITY we increase portability
- you don't have to check if OS is linux and then use different schema for
limits.

The spec says "Specifying RLIM_INFINITY as any resource limit value on a
successful call to setrlimit() shall inhibit enforcement of that resource
limit." and we're presently not doing that.

Cc: Michael Kerrisk <mtk.manpages@googlemail.com>
Signed-off-by: Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>
Signed-off-by: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>