LabsToo many open files
easy15 min100 points

Too many open files

A restart helps for a few seconds, then search hangs again

app@app
app@app:~$ curl -m 5 'localhost:8080/search?q=boots'
curl: (28) Operation timed out after 5002 milliseconds with 0 bytes received
app@app:~$ sudo journalctl -u searchd -n 2 -o cat
http: Accept error: accept tcp [::]:8080: accept4: too many open files; retrying in 1s
http: Accept error: accept tcp [::]:8080: accept4: too many open files; retrying in 1s
Illustration of the symptom, not a log from the lab.

What you learn

Telling a descriptor leak from a ceiling in ten seconds.

What you get

  • One broken Debian server of your own, root through sudo.
  • An hour on the clock, and fixmyprod extend adds another.
  • Checks run from outside and show what they got against what they want.
  • Three hints if you get stuck. They cost 10, 20 and 40 of this lab's 100 points.
  • A debrief once it is solved.