From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Date: Sat, 01 Apr 2006 14:29:51 -0800
From: Bart Schaefer <schaefer@brasslantern.com>
Subject: Re: maximum value for HISTSIZE ?
To: zsh-users@sunsite.dk
Message-id: <060401142951.ZM9358@torch.brasslantern.com>
MIME-version: 1.0
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X-Seq: zsh-users 10124

On Apr 1, 11:32am, Andy Spiegl wrote:
} Subject: Re: maximum value for HISTSIZE ?
}
} > So is there a maximum value or/and on what does it depend?
} 
} Really no one knows?

There isn't a fixed maximum.  Zsh will try to use all the memory your
system will allocate to it to maintain as large a history as you ask.
When the memory runs out depends on your system.

I don't know exactly what's happening in _all_labels, but it's most
likely trying to create an array indexed on history number.  When zsh
creates an array and is asked to insert an element at index N, all of
the N-1 elements at lesser index positions are also allocated, even if
there's nothing to put in them.