Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Thu, 14 Feb 2002 19:36:44 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Thu, 14 Feb 2002 19:36:39 -0500 Received: from [209.195.52.114] ([209.195.52.114]:18185 "HELO [209.195.52.30]") by vger.kernel.org with SMTP id ; Thu, 14 Feb 2002 19:36:28 -0500 From: David Lang To: ccroswhite@get2chip.com Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 16:34:33 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: Problems with VM In-Reply-To: <3C6C53C0.E7562704@get2chip.com> Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org the linux kernel does not free any memory until someone needs it. the way things should be happening is that the kernel will keep ~4-5M ram free to be allocated instantly, and the rest of it will be used as cache. Some percentage of the cache has been cleaned and is available to be thrown out quickly if it is needed. Some Swap space will be used in normal operation (when you start some programs they use a huge amount of space and force things into swap, the kernel will leave it there unless it is needed to run) seeing swap space used is not cause for concern, only worry if you see bunch of swap activity (lots of disk access) during your normal operations. David Lang On Thu, 14 Feb 2002 ccroswhite@get2chip.com wrote: > Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 16:18:08 -0800 > From: ccroswhite@get2chip.com > To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org > Subject: Problems with VM > > I am having difficulties with memory allocation in teh 2.4.17 kernel. > Memory is being agressively given as cache but not retrieved to be used > as 'normal' ran. Consequently, I will have a machine that has 5M > 'normal' RAM, 800M 'cache' RAM and the reset coming out of swap space. > I need this 'cache' RAM placed back into the available RAM pool to be > used by applications. Is there a patch/kernel configuration that I can > change this behavior? > > Chris Croswhite > Get2Chip, Inc. > > - > To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in > the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org > More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html > Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/ > - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/