Software⏱️ 4 min read📅 2026-06-11

How to Fix: error: cannot fork() for status: Resource temporarily unavailable (git)

Git error cannot fork() for status: Resource temporarily unavailable. Solution involves increasing the limit on open files.

Quick Answer: Increase the limit on open files by running ulimit -n 1024 or higher to resolve the issue.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 🛑 Root Causes of the Error
  2. ✅ Best Solutions to Fix It
  3. 🎯 Final Words

The error 'cannot fork() for status: Resource temporarily unavailable' occurs when you attempt to perform Git operations such as adding, removing, pulling, or pushing on GitHub. This issue affects users who have encountered this specific error message while trying to interact with the Git command-line interface.

This error is frustrating because it prevents you from completing your intended Git operation, and it can be challenging to diagnose and resolve without proper troubleshooting steps.

🛑 Root Causes of the Error

  • The primary reason for this error is that the system has reached its maximum number of open files. The `ulimit -a` command output shows that the maximum number of open files is set to 256, which is lower than the default value. When you attempt to perform a Git operation, Git tries to create a new process to execute the operation, but it fails due to the lack of available file descriptors.
  • Another possible cause is that the system's virtual memory is exhausted, causing the operating system to limit the number of processes that can be created.

✅ Best Solutions to Fix It

Increasing the maximum number of open files

  1. Step 1: To resolve this issue, you need to increase the maximum number of open files on your system. You can do this by running the command `ulimit -n 1024` (or a higher value if possible) in your terminal.
  2. Step 2: Alternatively, you can also increase the limit using the `sysctl` command: `sudo sysctl -w kernel.max_user_open_files=1024`. This will set the maximum number of open files to 1024 for all users on the system.
  3. Step 3: After increasing the limit, try running your Git operation again. If the issue persists, proceed to the alternative fix method.

Increasing the virtual memory

  1. Step 1: To increase the virtual memory, you need to adjust the swap space settings on your system. You can do this by running the command `sudo diskutil deleteDisk /dev/disk1s2` (or the equivalent command for your operating system) to remove any unnecessary partitions and free up disk space.
  2. Step 2: Alternatively, you can also increase the virtual memory using the `sysctl` command: `sudo sysctl -w kern.vmem_limit=1024m`. This will set the virtual memory limit to 1GB (or a higher value if possible).
  3. Step 3: After increasing the virtual memory, try running your Git operation again. If the issue persists, proceed to further troubleshooting or seek assistance from a system administrator.

🎯 Final Words

To resolve the 'cannot fork() for status: Resource temporarily unavailable' error on GitHub, you can try increasing the maximum number of open files or the virtual memory on your system. By following these steps and adjusting the relevant settings, you should be able to complete your intended Git operation successfully.

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