What does "squeeze error: out of sort space" mean?

[Kenneth Lee Atchinson]

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In article <1993Mar19....@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov>,
eds...@ed4000-2.lerc.nasa.gov (Kenneth Lee Atchinson) writes:
>
> Here is an opportunity for excellence for someone. I need help in
> decifering the error message below. Note that I get this message
> on occasion (mornings after backups and "updatedb" for find runs)
> and sometimes when another user runs a HUGE memory intensive job.
>
> > To: ro...@ed4000-1.lerc.nasa.gov
> >
> > squeeze error: out of sort space

Thanks to JS...@LIMS01.LERC.NASA.GOV (JEFFREY HOJNICKI) for supplying the
answer: check in the updatedb script. The find command was traversing NFS
mounts to several machines I had mounted which built a incrediably huge
array of names and paths. "sort" then tried to sort this list and failed
due to low/no swap space available and thus the script sends a "squeeze error"
message. I was able to create a modified updatedb script which does not
traverse down nfs mounts and thus works fine.

Kenneth Lee Atchinson Unix Analyst - LeRC Group Disclaimer: All from
SVERDRUP Technology, Inc SVR-1-273 (216) 826-6633 my little bitty hands!
2001 Aerospace Parkway Brook Park, Ohio 44142 'nuff said!!!
eds...@lerc.nasa.gov