On 2021-02-21 08:18, Satalink via Cygwin wrote:
I deal with a lot of very large files on a regular basis. I've noticed that
when I delve into these directories using in mintty and issue the command ls
-l (or ls -color=auto), a very large junk of memory is consumed. The
memory leak seems to be proportionate to the number and size of files within
the containing folder.
To reproduce:
generate or use a folder containing 50 (or more) 2G+ files.
// In this demonstration, I a ran the command on a directory containing 143
files ranging in size from 2GB to 5GB.
$> free
total used free shared buff/cache
available
Mem: 50276004 16465148 33810856 0 0
33810856
Swap: 12058624 186468 11872156
$> ls -l -color=auto
. (contents displayed after some delay)
$> free
total used free shared buff/cache
available
Mem: 50276004 19844660 30431344 0 0
30431344
Swap: 12058624 186460 11872164
// After 10 consecutive executions of the 'ls -al --color=auto' command in
this directory, ls has consumed 86% of my system's real memory.
$> free
total used free shared buff/cache
available
Mem: 50276004 43587560 6688444 0 0
6688444
Swap: 12058624 301068 11757556
// If I continue (usually unknowingly) my system will completely be depleted
of resources to the point my mouse will barely respond to movement.
That number is just the amount of unused physical memory on the system, and will
go down as you use the system, because unused memory is wasted meory.
Better to use Windows utilities like Task Manager/Performance/Memory, Resource
Monitor/Memory, or MS/SysInternals rammap which give system relevant details.
You will probably find that a lot of your memory is in Standby which means it is
being used to memory map or cache files, and it should be released when needed.
Unfortunately Windows often can't release the memory as fast as programs want to
use it.
Just accessing files can cause AV/Defender to look at what you are doing, and
have AV and Search take a look in the files, which uses and ties up a bunch of
resources for a while.
You need to look a bit further for longer to decide if there are real issues,
and if so, where they are.
--
Take care. Thanks, Brian Inglis, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
This email may be disturbing to some readers as it contains
too much technical detail. Reader discretion is advised.
[Data in binary units and prefixes, physical quantities in SI.]
--
Problem reports: https://cygwin.com/problems.html
FAQ: https://cygwin.com/faq/
Documentation: https://cygwin.com/docs.html
Unsubscribe info: https://cygwin.com/ml/#unsubscribe-simple