Home > Help Files > Unix > Processes Processes What To Do About The "No More Processes" Message When running large programs, or when the system is heavily loaded, you may get the message from the system "No more processes." when you try to execute a command. This is because the system is not large enough to handle everybody's requests at once. Every request is known as a "process". When the system is heavily loaded and you try to execute another command, the system cannot co-operate, because it would become overloaded. Therefore, it tells you that it did not execute your command because it was too "busy" already. What Can Be Done About It? Well, there are several ways of dealing with the problem. The first, and probably friendliest (with respect to other users, who are probably getting the same error message as well) is to log out and use the system later when it is less loaded. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. When it is not (for example, in a class situation, or when something has to be done), the only thing you can do is to keep trying to execute the command. Eventually (and usually within 30 seconds or so), the system will become less loaded and will accept your command. So, when you get the "No more processes" error message, don't give up -- just try again.

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