Error too many open files in Linux - causes of occurrence

The too many open files error in Linux occurs when the operating system reaches the limit of open file descriptors. A file descriptor is a numeric identifier that the operating system uses to keep track of open files and network connections.

Causes of the error

This error can occur for several reasons. One of them is incorrect system configuration, when the maximum number of open file descriptors is set too low. In such a case, it is recommended to change this parameter in the configuration files of the operating system.

You can see how many files can be opened in your file system by running the command:

cat /proc/sys/fs/file-max

Another reason may be due to improper resource utilization in the application or software. For example, if an application does not close files after use, they remain open and take up operating system resources. In this case, it is recommended to check the application code and make sure that all files are properly closed after use.

It is also possible that the problem is caused by insufficient system resources such as memory or CPU time. In this case, it is recommended to increase the amount of available resources or optimize the application to reduce the load on the system.