Same here. I have 256MB and I only need to use my 100MB swap when I run
VMware (I give Win2K 128MB of RAM), and even then the maximum swap I've used
is 50MB. That's with heaps of hungry programmes running in both Linux
(Konqueror, Netscape, Opera beta 3, Mozilla, etc.) and WinDOS (Opera 5, MSIE
5, Powerdesk PRO 4, Windows Media Player, etc.) all at once. If I'm using
more than that, then something's definitely wrong. Usually it's a misbehaving
programme, and I can easily get all my RAM back by killing it.
Also, it's important to remember that Linux, unlike WinDOS, actually *uses*
unutilised RAM (why pay for RAM if you're not going to use it?) for hard
drive caching. So if you look at free RAM in an app like top it will often
show it as almost full. Open a few more apps and you will still be using
about the same amount of RAM. This is because the HDD cache is shrinking to
accommodate your programmes. You will only use your swap when this cache
drops to zero.
To get an accurate reading of how much RAM you really have, run "free" (or
"free -m" to convert bytes to MB) from a command line. The first line, "Mem",
shows the same data as top would. The second, "-/+ buffers/cache", is what
you should be looking at. This shows your true used and free RAM, minus the
HDD cache. The last line shows swap usage.
On Thu, 14 Dec 2000 12:20, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> I think that if you have 128 ram or more its almost
> unnecessary. I have 256 and it never uses the swap.
>
> Quoting Adrian Smith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
> > hey Chris --
> > i had an idea (which don't happen often)
> > you could tell linux not to use the swap by
> > eliminating the swap partition.
> > tho i don't know if linux *has* to have a swap.
> > one of the gurus might be able to answer that
> > for us.
> >
> >
> >
> > Adrian Smith
> > 'de telepone dude
> > Telecom Dept.
> > x 7042
> > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> > >>> "Joseph Red" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 4:00:44 PM
> >
> > 12/13/00 >>>
> > How in the world are you using all 2g swap???
> > As for physical RAM. When I
> > had 128m, I usually had ~10m free, and used no
> > swap (according to top). Now
> > I have 256m & I would have to try hard to get it
> > to use the swap.
> >
> > Joseph Red
> > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Chris" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2000 11:43 AM
> > Subject: Re: [newbie] Making a new SWAP
> > partition.
> >
> > > Adrian Smith wrote:
> > > > i recently added 128M ram, and linux hasn't
> >
> > touched my swap space since
> > then.
> >
> > > > i have not seen my swap used, at all,
> >
> > ever.... since adding the 128M
> >
> > > How'd you get it to not use the swap?... I
> >
> > have 128MB of RAM also,
> >
> > > and a 2GB (yes, 2 gig) swap partition that is
> >
> > always 100% used. Even
> >
> > > with the 128MB, I never have more than 6 or
> >
> > 7MB of memory free.
> >
> > > - chris
>
> the serpent and the egg
--
Sridhar Dhanapalan.
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