Problem with apache2 and subversion (mod_dav_svn / mod_authz_svn)

["Jeffrey C. Jacobs" <darklord at timehorse dot com>]

I've been trying to set up an apache2 server using the corresponding
CYGWIN packages for the past few months on and off and recently I'm back
on this complicated project.  So, when I tried to start up my
configuration, the one that was working about 2 months ago, the server
failed to start and I got a strange error in my error logs:

fork: Resource temporarily unavailable
unable to fork new process

That's the only error I get: no timestamp or anything else, just those 2
phrases.

Now, in order to narrow down the various problems I was having
(actually, before the fork error, I was having a problem with gnutls not
being able to create a dbm file but obviously that's beyond the scope of
this list since gnutls is not a CYGWIN package) I started eliminating
modules.  What I eventually found was that, everything else more or less
the same, I could start apache just fine if I commented out the
LoadModule lines for dav_svn_module and authz_svn_module.  I had to
comment out both, and I needed to comment out nothing else (apart from
disabling gnutls's cache) to get apache2 to work.  I am up to date as of
this e-mail with respect to all core, python, apache2, subversion and
any other related packages.  None the less, I forced reinstall of
subversion_apache2 (1.6.3-1) and subversion_devel (1.6.3-1) to make sure
I had the latest version and this did not help.  If I left one of the
modules in, the fork error still occurs, even if I still have all
svn-related commands also commented out, just leaving the one LoadModule
command.

Of course, I am using apache2-2.2.6-1, since that is again the latest. 
It would be nice if we could upgrade to at least the Apache 2.2.12
release -- though preferable 2.2.13 for the security fix -- since this
would eliminate my need for tinkering with the poorly ported GnuTLS
package in order to get Server Name Identification (SNI) support into my
web server for virtual hosting with TLS support.  BTW, if folks would
like my CYGWIN port of GnuTLS and memcache from the OutOfOrder.cc
website, just let me know, but as I say it's a bit patchy ;)

Anyway, has anyone else seen this fork problem with the two subversion
modules?  I don't think it's a resource problem because I can start
apache just fine without loading the two offending modules.  But there
doesn't seem to be much to go on in that error line.  In any case, any
help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

Take care, everyone,

Jeffrey


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