/tmp filling up when running repair on database

Hello

I have a client with a 1 gb MySQL DB and in the midst of running a repair on her database, the page just went blank (white) and the /tmp partition filled up, grinding a couple of other sites on server to a standstill.

Problem is, when it timed out, it was fixing a table on her database which is now locked saying "in use" and I'm not sure I want to run another "repair" on it for the fear of affecting other clients or further ruining this table/database.

Any guidance on how I can increase the size of the /tmp folder or what would be a potential fix.

FYI when I click on the table in question, I see this error

Will appreciate any help you can provide.

 

Thanks for the response. The thing is the /tmp folder gets full trying to run the REPAIR command via phpmyadmin and goes back to being empty as soon as the process is terminated. Hence I asked if I could increase the size of the /tmp folder, maybe that would help executing the db REPAIR effectively.

 

Thanks for that chief, yea its a 1 gb database.

 

The screw up with that is the doing the repair the first time and getting the whitepage resulted in the posts table (which is about 750 mb) to get locked. phpmyadmin shows its "in use". So performing a backup results in getting a DB that's only 100 something MB.