PMSD(8)PMSD(8)NAMEpmsd - Periodically Manic System Daemon. Manages the bizzare and some‐
times unexplainable behavior exhibited by computers.
SYNOPSISpmsd [-bcfmp]
DESCRIPTIONpmsd is a rogue daemon that is spawned on a semi-regular schedule by
init(8). Most of the unusual and quirky behavior associated with mis‐
behaving computers can be attributed to pmsd.
pmsd has a number of command-line options, invoked at run-time by
init(8). The ps(1) command will occasionally display the current
options, but only if pmsd feels like revealing them. This is usually
not the case. pmsd can be manually invoked by the pms(8) command. Make
sure there is not a pmsd process already running when you use pms(8);
you don't want to be on a system with multiple instances of pmsd run‐
ning.
With no flags, pmsd runs with the default -m option, and any others it
feels like using.
OPTIONS-b Bloat. Files randomly grow in size, filling up filesystems and
causing quotas to be exceeded.
-c Craving. System becomes hungry, eating magnetic tapes, CD-ROM
discs, floppies, and anything else a hapless user loads into a
removable media drive.
-f Fatigue. System will pause for a random period of time. It is
important to leave the system alone during this time. Attempts
to coax the machine into normal operation could cause the spon‐
taneous activation of all command-line switches. This is to be
avoided.
-m Mood swings. Process priorities and nice values are altered ran‐
domly. Swapping usually occurs with no warning, even when memory
is available. This is the default behavior.
-p Peeved. One or more users are selected as targets of the sys‐
tem's anger. Files are deleted, e-mail copied to /etc/motd, and
any Usenet articles posted by the targets are crossposted to
misc.test and alt.flame.
NOTES
When pmsd is invoked by using the pms(8) command, pmsd ignores any com‐
mand-line switches and does what it damned well pleases.
SEE ALSOpms(8)BUGS
There are no bugs; how could you ask that?
HISTORY
Written by Eric L. Pederson <eric@bofh.org.uk>.
25 March 1996 PMSD(8)
