Как различные значения ulimit для набора процессов?

Это POSIX - см. man 3 sysconf

NAME
       sysconf - get configuration information at run time

SYNOPSIS
       #include <unistd.h>

       long sysconf(int name);

DESCRIPTION
       POSIX  allows  an  application  to  test at compile or run time whether
       certain options  are  supported,  or  what  the  value  is  of  certain
       configurable constants or limits.

       At  compile time this is done by including <unistd.h> and/or <limits.h>
       and testing the value of certain macros.

       At run time, one  can  ask  for  numerical  values  using  the  present
       function  sysconf().   One can ask for numerical values that may depend
       on the filesystem a  file  is  in  using  the  calls  fpathconf(3)  and
       pathconf(3).  One can ask for string values using confstr(3).

       The  values  obtained  from  these  functions  are system configuration
       constants.  They do not change during the lifetime of a process.  

       ...<snip>... 

       OPEN_MAX - _SC_OPEN_MAX
              The  maximum number of files that a process can have open at any
              time.  Must not be less than _POSIX_OPEN_MAX (20).