ULIMIT Command in Linux

ULIMIT is a built-in Linux command that is used for viewing the resources that are available to each Linux user. Moreover, this command can also be used for limiting these resources so that the multiple users can use the same system with absolute convenience. In this article, we will try to learn the usage of the ULIMIT command in Linux.

Usage of the ULIMIT Command in Linux

Before proceeding with the usage of the ULIMIT command in Linux, we will first look at all the options that are available with this command. This can be done by accessing the help manual of this command by running the following command:

$ ulimit --help

The following image shown displays the help manual of this command. From here, you can easily find out which options or flags can be used with the ULIMIT command in Linux.

Example 1: Checking the Resource Availability Status for the Current User

In this example, we will use the ULIMIT command for checking the resource availability status for the currently logged in Linux user. For that, we run the following command:

$ ulimit

According to the following output, the resources that are available to the currently logged in user are unlimited.

Example 2: Checking the Detailed Resource Availability for the Current User

You can witness from the previously shared example that the resources that are available to the currently logged in Linux user are unlimited. However, at times, you might want to know the exact number of each of the available resources. In that case, you can run the ULIMIT command in the following manner:

$ ulimit –a

The detailed resource availability report for the currently logged in Linux user is shown in the following image. In this report, you will also be able to see the other flags that can be used with this command for displaying the resource availability of the individual resources.

Example 3: Checking the Hard Limit Value

The hard limit is defined as the upper bound on the soft limit of the available system resources. The ULIMIT command can also be used for printing the hard limit value on the terminal by running it in the following manner:

$ ulimit –Hn

The hard limit value for the currently logged in Linux user is shown in the following image:

Example 4: Checking the Soft Limit Value

The soft limit is the maximum number of resources that are allocated for performing a particular process. The ULIMIT command can even be used for displaying the soft limit value on the terminal by running it in the following manner:

$ ulimit –Sn

The soft limit value for the currently logged in Linux user is shown in the following image:

Conclusion

This article began with an introduction to the ULIMIT command in Linux. This command is used for viewing or limiting the resources available to the Linux users. After introducing you to this command, we shared some useful examples that will help you a lot in using this command effectively while working with the Linux operating system.