Date: Wed, 28 Dec 2005 09:53:28 +0100
From: DervishD <lkml@dervishd.net>
To: Shaun <mailinglists@unix-scripts.com>
Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: Memory, where's it going?
Message-ID: <20051228085328.GA25380@DervishD>
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    Hi Shaun :)

 * Shaun <mailinglists@unix-scripts.com> dixit:
> I see that free shows that 7.7GB is cached and i'm not sure why so
> much is cached.

    Because free memory is a *waste* of memory. Why leaving unused
memory when it can be used for caching? The kernel will (up to some
extent, I suppose) try to use all free memory for caching if no app
needs it.

    If you have 8GB of memory, it's a bit difficult to fill it just
with the running apps, so the kernel cleverly uses the rest for
caching things so the system runs faster.

    For example, I have 1GB of RAM, and even when I use X (seldom...)
I never eat up more than, let's say, 500MB. So, I have another 500MB
of memory unused: the kernel uses it as cache, and that makes my
system run much faster (I noticed a speed increase when I switch from
512 to 1G).

    Ra?l N??ez de Arenas Coronado

-- 
Linux Registered User 88736 | http://www.dervishd.net
http://www.pleyades.net & http://www.gotesdelluna.net
It's my PC and I'll cry if I want to...
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