The ulimit command is used to set or display the limitations on the system resources available to the current shell and its descendants. One of the resources that can be controlled by ulimit is the maximum size of a core file that is created when a program crashes. A core file is a snapshot of the memory and registers of a process at the time of termination, which can be used for debugging purposes. By default, the core file size limit is zero, which means no core file will be generated. To change the core file size limit, the option -c can be used with ulimit, followed by a number that represents the maximum number of blocks (usually 512 bytes) that can be written to a core file. For example, the command ulimit -c 1000 will set the core file size limit to 512000 bytes. To remove the core file size limit, the option -c can be used with ulimit, followed by unlimited. For example, the command ulimit -c unlimited will allow core files of any size to be created. References:
* LPIC-1 Exam 102 Objectives, Topic 103: Linux Installation and Package Management, Subtopic 103.3:
Manage shared libraries, Weight: 1, Key Knowledge Areas: Identify the location and purpose of important file and directories as defined in the FHS, Objective:Use the ulimit command to set or display limitations on the system resources available to the current shell and its descendants.
* LPIC-1 Exam 102 Learning Materials, Topic 103: Linux Installation and Package Management, Subtopic 103.3: Manage shared libraries, Section 103.3.2: ulimit, Page 14-15.