SUMMARY: Increasing Max Number of Symbolic Links

From: Mike van der Velden [4243] (mvanderv@glenvan.glenayre.com)
Date: Thu Sep 18 1997 - 03:46:55 CDT


Fellow Sun Managers,

Earlier this week, I asked:

> We have a situation where we need to increase the maximum number
> of nested symbolic links on both SunOS 4.1.4 and Solaris 2.5.
>
> The following can be found in /usr/include/sys/param.h on both
> OSes:
>
> /*
> * MAXSYMLINKS defines the maximum number of symbolic links
> * that may be expanded in a path name. It should be set high
> * enough to allow all legitimate uses, but halt infinite loops
> * reasonably quickly.
> */
> #define MAXSYMLINKS 20
>
> I tried doubling this to 40 on a SunOS 4.1.4 machine, and
> re-compiling the kernel. This didn't work -- we still can't
> get past 20 symbolic links.
>
> I checked all the .c files I could find in the kernel config
> directory and in other places, and none of them refer to the
> MAXSYMLINKS constant.
>
> Alternatively, does anyone know the internal symbol name for
> maxsymlinks so I can use adb to change it on the fly?

Thanks go to the following individuals for taking the time to reply:
 Jim Davis <jdavis@lectura.CS.Arizona.EDU>
 Nate Itkin <Nate-Itkin@ptdcs2.intel.com>
 David Moline <drm@gcs.com.au>

I also posted to comp.sys.sun.admin, and called our SunService
provider, Novadyne.

Unfortunately, it appears that the MAXSYMLINKS definition in
/usr/include/sys/param.h is there for information only. Apparently,
this constant is buried so deep in the bowels of Sun's source code
that it would be nigh impossible to change without assistance from
Sun.

I even tried using the nm command on /vmunix, grepping for the string
"sym" in order to see what possible symbols might exist that I could
modify using adb. Unfortunately, there was nothing of use.

Thanks again for your time.

----
Mike van der Velden                         email: mvanderv@glenayre.com
System Administrator, Engineering Systems   phone: 604-293-1611, x4243
Glenayre R&D, Inc., 1570 Kootenay St,       fax:   604-293-4317
Vancouver, BC, Canada.  V5K 5B8             pager: 604-735-3628



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