I tried the following bash code in my terminal:
:()
{
: | : &
};
:
The systems halts and reports:
bash fork: cannot allocate memory
Could anyone explain to me why the above code keeps forking and using out all system memory?
Thanks.
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[Fork bomb?](http://askubuntu.com/questions/159491/why-did-the-command-make-my-system-lag-so-badly-i-had-to-reboot) – Tom Fenech Oct 15 '14 at 19:44
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@TomFenech Yes, but I would like to understand why – taocp Oct 15 '14 at 19:45
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The answers to the linked question explain why very well :) – Tom Fenech Oct 15 '14 at 19:45
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@TomFenech Thanks. I saw that. This is fun – taocp Oct 15 '14 at 19:46
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This is also BashFAQ #59: http://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashFAQ/059 – Charles Duffy Oct 15 '14 at 19:47