POSIX only specifies that LINE_MAX must be at least 2048: http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/000095399/basedefs/limits.h.html {LINE_MAX}
Unless otherwise noted, the maximum length, in bytes, of a utility's input line (either standard input or another file), when the utility is described as processing text files. The length includes room for the trailing <newline>.
Minimum Acceptable Value: {_POSIX2_LINE_MAX} {_POSIX2_LINE_MAX}
Unless otherwise noted, the maximum length, in bytes, of a utility's input line (either standard input or another file), when the utility is described as processing text files. The length includes room for the trailing <newline>.
Value: 2 048
defining LINE_MAX equal to INT_MAX is stupid and would break a lot of existing code: http://www.google.com/codesearch?as_q=char\s%2B\w%2B[LINE_MAX\]%3B&btnG=Search+Code&as_lang=c&as_case=y Results 1 - 10 of about 2,000. (0.05 seconds)