Too many open files error 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 track open files and network connections.

Causes of the error

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

To see how many files can be opened in your file system, you can run the command:

Another reason may be due to improper use of resources in the application or software. For example, if the application does not close the files after use, they remain open and occupy the resources of the operating system. 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 operation of the application to reduce the load on the system.