Thread: file-nr and lsof results

Hi,
I think file-nr gives no of open files in the system and lsof gives it per user.

But I have root's no of open files > file-nr .

How it is possible. pls correct me if I am wrong.

bash-3.2# cat /proc/sys/fs/file-nr
704 0 8192
-bash-3.2# lsof -u root | wc -l
872
-bash-3.2# cat /proc/sys/fs/file-nr
704 0 8192
-bash-3.2# lsof -u root | wc -l
877
-bash-3.2# cat /proc/sys/fs/file-nr
704 0 8192

Originally Posted by rajatlr

Hi,
I think file-nr gives no of open files in the system and lsof gives it per user.

But I have root's no of open files > file-nr .

How it is possible. pls correct me if I am wrong.

bash-3.2# cat /proc/sys/fs/file-nr
704 0 8192
-bash-3.2# lsof -u root | wc -l
872
-bash-3.2# cat /proc/sys/fs/file-nr
704 0 8192
-bash-3.2# lsof -u root | wc -l
877
-bash-3.2# cat /proc/sys/fs/file-nr
704 0 8192

file-nr keeps the information about the number of "open file descriptors" that are "handles" to open files. But there might be open files that do not have handles. Hence, the difference.

Take for example the output

bash-3.2# cat /proc/sys/fs/file-nr
704 0 8192
-bash-3.2# lsof | wc -l
1140

Here, total number of files open are 1140, while only 704 of these have file descriptors (handles)

Hope it helps. Cheers!