Greetings, I am trying to increase the number of max_connections to 200 and found out I couldn't even start postgresql. So I tried to increase max_connections gradually (currently at 50 from 40 default) and adjust shared memory settings along the way. Even at 50 max_connections, I still cannot get postgresql to start. The following is the error message I receive: pgsql FATAL: could not create shared memory segment: Invalid argument DETAIL: Failed system call was shmget(key=5432001, size=35323904, 03600). HINT: This error usually means that PostgreSQL's request for a shared memory segment exceeded your kernel's SHMMAX parameter. You can either reduce the request size or reconfigure the kernel with larger SHMMAX. To reduce the request size (currently 35323904 bytes), reduce PostgreSQL's shared_buffers parameter (curre ntly 4096) and/or its max_connections parameter (currently 50). If the request size is already small, it's possible that it is less than your kernel's SHMMIN parameter, in which case raising the request size or reconfiguring SHMMIN is called for. The PostgreSQL documentation contains more information about shared memory configuration. pg_ctl: postmaster does not start This is confusing because the requested size is both higher than SHMMIN and lower than SHMMAX as you can see below: [ root@www ] $ sysctl -a | grep kern.ipc kern.ipc.maxsockbuf: 262144 kern.ipc.sockbuf_waste_factor: 8 kern.ipc.somaxconn: 128 kern.ipc.max_linkhdr: 16 kern.ipc.max_protohdr: 60 kern.ipc.max_hdr: 76 kern.ipc.max_datalen: 132 kern.ipc.nmbclusters: 25600 kern.ipc.nmbufs: 51200 kern.ipc.nmbcnt: 32256 kern.ipc.nsfbufs: 6656 kern.ipc.mbuf_wait: 64 kern.ipc.mbuf_hiwm: 512 kern.ipc.mbuf_lowm: 128 kern.ipc.clust_hiwm: 128 kern.ipc.clust_lowm: 16 kern.ipc.maxpipekva: 10485760 kern.ipc.maxpipekvawired: 5242880 kern.ipc.pipes: 6 kern.ipc.bigpipes: 0 kern.ipc.pipekva: 98304 kern.ipc.pipekvawired: 0 kern.ipc.msgmax: 16384 kern.ipc.msgmni: 40 kern.ipc.msgmnb: 2048 kern.ipc.msgtql: 40 kern.ipc.msgssz: 8 kern.ipc.msgseg: 2048 kern.ipc.semmap: 30 kern.ipc.semmni: 10 kern.ipc.semmns: 60 kern.ipc.semmnu: 30 kern.ipc.semmsl: 60 kern.ipc.semopm: 100 kern.ipc.semume: 10 kern.ipc.semusz: 92 kern.ipc.semvmx: 32767 kern.ipc.semaem: 16384 kern.ipc.shmmax: 33554432 kern.ipc.shmmin: 1 kern.ipc.shmmni: 192 kern.ipc.shmseg: 128 kern.ipc.shmall: 8192 kern.ipc.shm_use_phys: 1 kern.ipc.shm_allow_removed: 0 kern.ipc.numopensockets: 27 kern.ipc.maxsockets: 25600 <118>kern.ipc.shm_use_phys: <118>kern.ipc.shm_use_phys: My kernel config options are: options SYSVSHM options SYSVMSG options SYSVSEM options SHMMAXPGS=262144 options SHMSEG=512 options SHMMNI=512 options SEMMNI=512 options SEMMNS=1024 options SEMMNU=512 options SEMMAP=512 options NMBCLUSTERS=32768 and my postgresql.conf contains: max_connections = 50 shared_buffers = 4096 sort_mem = 4096 max_fsm_pages = 20000 max_fsm_relations = 1000 and here is a partial dmesg: Copyright (c) 1992-2004 The FreeBSD Project. Copyright (c) 1979, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. FreeBSD 5.2.1-RELEASE #1: Sun Jan 30 02:11:33 EST 2005 rapichai@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC Preloaded elf kernel "/boot/kernel/kernel" at 0xc0a19000. Preloaded elf module "/boot/kernel/hpt374.ko" at 0xc0a1921c. Preloaded elf module "/boot/kernel/acpi.ko" at 0xc0a192c8. ACPI APIC Table: <A M I OEMAPIC > Timecounter "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 0 CPU: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.20GHz (3207.29-MHz 686-class CPU) Origin = "GenuineIntel" Id = 0xf34 Stepping = 4 Features=0xbfebfbff<FPU,VME,DE,PSE,TSC,MSR,PAE,MCE,CX8,APIC,SEP,MTRR,PGE,MCA,CMOV,PAT,PSE36,CLFLUSH,DTS,ACPI,MMX,FXSR,SSE,SSE2,SS,HTT,TM,PBE> Hyperthreading: 2 logical CPUs real memory = 2146631680 (2047 MB) avail memory = 2079891456 (1983 MB) FreeBSD/SMP: Multiprocessor System Detected: 2 CPUs cpu0 (BSP): APIC ID: 0 cpu1 (AP): APIC ID: 1 ioapic0 <Version 2.0> irqs 0-23 on motherboard Pentium Pro MTRR support enabled as the postgres user i ran ulimit and it said "unlimited". I've read all the tuning information that I can find, and still can't seem to get postgresql to start with more than 40 max_connections. Rick ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 3: if posting/reading through Usenet, please send an appropriate subscribe-nomail command to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx so that your message can get through to the mailing list cleanly