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PMSD(8)                DragonFly System Manager's Manual               PMSD(8)


NAME

       pmsd - Periodically Manic System Daemon. Manages the bizzare and
       sometimes unexplainable behavior exhibited by computers.


SYNOPSIS

       pmsd [-bcfmp]


DESCRIPTION

       pmsd is a rogue daemon that is spawned on a semi-regular schedule by
       init(8).  Most of the unusual and quirky behavior associated with
       misbehaving 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
       running.

       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
              spontaneous activation of all command-line switches. This is to
              be avoided.

       -m     Mood swings. Process priorities and nice values are altered
              randomly. 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
              system'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
       command-line switches and does what it damned well pleases.


SEE ALSO

       pms(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)

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