David G. Wiseman

Overflowing the Bit Bucket

On 2/10/92, you allegedly write:
> From: hacker@tumbler-ridge.caltech.edu (Jon Hacker)
> Subject: /dev/null full

> Our sun sparc 1+ SunOS 4.1 OW2.0 started running very slowly.  When
> I logged out I got the message /dev/null full: empty bit bucket.

> What does this mean?  It seems to be running fine after a reboot
> but I am wondering if only the sympton is cured.

>Jon Hacker
>MMIC Group, EE
>Caltech, Pasadena CA
>hacker@rumbler-ridge.caltech.edu

The problem is that null is full.  Your void space is no longer void, it's
full up.

THE TOP TEN WAYS TO EMPTY AN OVERFLOWING BIT BUCKET:

10) Open the computer up. Look for the bit bucket, find the RED stopper
    at the bottom of it and open it up OVER a LARGE trashcan.
 9) Stop using the computer for 6 months, let the bits compost and
    continue.
 8) Take the ethernet terminator off, and "cat /dev/null > le0".  This
    spits the bits into the ether.
 7) When you write to /dev/null, the 0's don't take up any space, but
    the one's do.  Try writing a file full of 0's to /dev/null
    (binary 0, NOT ASCII 0 - ASCII 0 will start overfilling the partition).
 6) This is a common problem _only_ if you use the computer.  If you stop
    using it, it won't have many problems as all.  Kick the other users off
    too.
 5) If you use lots of C programs, they have Null terminated strings that
    use up the bits in /dev/null.
 4) Bring the computer to Mr. Goodwrench, he will drain the bit bucket,
    change the oil and add windshield fluid, all in less than 29 minutes.
    Now that's a deal.
 3) Consider upgrading to a byte bucket or even a word bucket.
 2) Since your already using Open Windows, open a window and toss the 
    useless bits out the open window.
 1) Stop using the game "fortune" in your .logout script, Mr "Hacker".


good luck
Frank Ortune
(fortune@fsg.com)

Ha, ha, ha. Take me back to [ the alphabetic list ] [ the date-ordered list ].