#17920·theia

Backend may freeze when inotify instances are exhausted (linux)

Author: sdirixCreated Aug 14, 2026Updated Sep 17, 2026
LabelsbugOS/Linuxfile-watchers

Bug Description:

When the system is at the limit of inotify instances (typical default is 128) and npm run start:browser is executed, the backend may wait-freeze forever.

I encountered this during testing but this might also happen for any other (Linux) Theia-based application if the user is unlucky.

Steps to Reproduce:

  1. On Linux, exhaust your inotify user instances, e.g. via a python script
  2. Run npm run start:browser
  3. The backend freezes after setting up the watcher for the log config file

Additional Information