[K12OSN] Limiting memory use

[Todd O'Bryan]

I'm using Ubuntu 6.10.

I teach programming and students will frequently create an infinitely
recursive function that eats up more and more memory. If they don't
realize what they've done and stop the program, eventually we run out of
RAM, start hitting the virtual memory, and the whole lab comes to a
grinding halt as the system thrashes itself to oblivion.

Is there any way to limit the memory that a process can suck up so that
this doesn't happen?

Thanks,
Todd