yes i should have seen this! thanks to everyone for the info (sorry for the 
delay but i've been off work for a week). my lil classic is compiling away as 
i type but it will be a few hours yet until i know whether unlimiting the 
datasize has solved the problem.

GREG

> At 7:01 PM -0500 4/10/01, T. M. Pederson wrote:
> 
> :)>yes i did a sup for pkgsrc current before i started the compile and left it
> :)>compiling when i went home. unfortunately... as you suggested in an earlier
> :)>mail, it choked with the following message... 'virtual memory
> :exhausted'. how
> :)>annoying! is that a leak or will more swap space solve the problem? my
> :)>classic
> 
> http://www.netbsd.org/Documentation/software/compiling.html#unlimit
> 
>   -- MW
> 
>