Hi and thanks,
grep '= -1 E' /tmp/strace.out shows this as the final message:
5215  clone(child_stack=0, flags=CLONE_CHILD_CLEARTID|CLONE_CHILD_SETTID|SIGCHLD, child_tidptr=0x7fc213c1b780) = -1 ENOMEM (Cannot allocate memory)
$? and $! report:
Before array setup: $?=0x0 $!=Operation not permitted
After array setup: $?=0x0 $!=Cannot allocate memory

For details of free memory via free -m see below. Also ulimit -a

So my problem appears to be memory. I have 4Gb RAM and 2.4 Gb swap. I thought that on 64 bit the array would be swapped out to allow the system command to run. Seems it isn't.

On 32 bit there is just enough memory to allow the system command to run.

I do have in mind a crude workaround for the problem, involving a simple daemon to replace the system call to run PovRay, but I am still interested to understand why the system thinks it can't allocate memory when there's Gbytes of swap available.

Cheers, Peter

free -m before and after array setup
64 bit
Before:
         total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:      3948       1202       2746          0         63        418
-/+ buffers/cache:    720       3228
Swap:     2392          0       2392

[download]
After:
         total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:      3948       3931         17          0          3         93
-/+ buffers/cache:   3834        114
Swap:     2392         51       2341

[download]

32 bit
Before:
         total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:      3549        954       2594          0         77        362
-/+ buffers/cache:    514       3034
Swap:     2392          0       2392

[download]
After:
         total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:      3549       3437        111          0         81        359
-/+ buffers/cache:   2996        553
Swap:     2392          0       2392

[download]
64 bit: 
ulimit -a
core file size          (blocks, -c) 0
data seg size           (kbytes, -d) unlimited
file size               (blocks, -f) unlimited
pending signals                 (-i) 36864
max locked memory       (kbytes, -l) 64
max memory size         (kbytes, -m) unlimited
open files                      (-n) 1024
pipe size            (512 bytes, -p) 8
POSIX message queues     (bytes, -q) 819200
stack size              (kbytes, -s) 8192
cpu time               (seconds, -t) unlimited
max user processes              (-u) 36864
virtual memory          (kbytes, -v) unlimited
file locks                      (-x) unlimited

[download]

In reply to Re^5: system command - OK on 32 bit, fails on 64 bit Linux - why? by geep999
in thread system command - OK on 32 bit, fails on 64 bit Linux - why? by geep999

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