Evaluate maximum process argument limits

[kallisti5]

The maximum length of arguments under Linux is 2,097,152:

getconf ARG_MAX

The maximum length under FreeBSD is 262,144:

/usr/include/sys/syslimits.h:#define    ARG_MAX                 262144  /* max bytes for an exec function */

The maximum length of arguments under Haiku is 131,072:

headers/private/system/user_runtime.h:#define MAX_PROCESS_ARGS_SIZE	(128 * 1024)

While abuse of arguments is a bad thing, it cropped up while building ICU70: ​https://unicode-org.atlassian.net/browse/ICU-21920

There is seemingly a large difference between the maximum argument length on Haiku vs Linux vs FreeBSD. We should evaluate if we want to raise it.

[kallisti5]

A good middle ground may be migrating to (256 * 1024) to meet the same value as FreeBSD.

[kallisti5]

Another data point. FreeBSD's discussion of moving to a larger value (aka matching Linux's HUGE ARG_MAX.

​https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=208154

[korli]

Did you try to build ICU70 with this change?

[kallisti5]

I can test with (256 * 1024). Will report back.

[jmairboeck]

I have also hit this when trying to build the documentation for LilyPond (I still haven't written the recipe for it yet, but it needs a working TeXLive anyway). They use a few perl one-liners in the Makefile. I had to change ​this one so that perl does the globbing itself instead of the shell.

[kallisti5]

I've confirmed updating to 256 * 1024 resolves the icu build issues.

I think jumping to the huge Linux MAX_ARGS is overkill, however keeping up with FreeBSD's is likely a more prudent step.

[kallisti5]

​https://review.haiku-os.org/c/haiku/+/4991 has been submitted.

This isn't technically a bug, however having the shortest max arg length means a lot of random things with huge numbers of args won't work on Haiku but will work on FreeBSD, Linux, etc.

Matching FreeBSD should make the situation better and fixes in ports more likely. (To be real for a moment, "Doesn't work on FreeBSD and Haiku" is a lot easier to digest and get upstream patches accepted over "Doesn't work on Haiku")

[kallisti5]

fixed in master via hrev55899. After some testing in nightly images, lets also merge ​https://review.haiku-os.org/c/haiku/+/4996 into r1beta3.