RAM usage? (mint 15 xfce 64 bit)

[thepartypooper]

It's possibly a noob question so sorry

So I installed Olivia and after startup before using any apps it uses 291 mb ram but when I use some software and the exit them it doesn't go back to that, it uses like twice as much memory. Is it some cache thing or can I do something about it?

total used free shared buffers cached
Mem: 3819 569 3250 0 47 229
-/+ buffers/cache: 291 3527
Swap: 3957 0 3957

[uzername]

Nothing to worry about. Linux takes the bizarre position that memory is to use, not to have it sit there unused. Crazy, huh?

[eanfrid]

memory is to use, not to have it sit there unused

+1

Code: Select all

free -mt
             total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:         16039      15693        345          0        252       9581
-/+ buffers/cache:       5858      10180
Swap:         1023          0       1023
Total:       17063      15693       1369

[tdockery97]

Agree. If you like the challenge of running as minimal as possible, why not get a netbook with just 1GB RAM. With a system that has 2, 4, 8, 16GB RAM what's the point in not using it?

[xfrank]

+1
I run all in memory to avoid SSD wearing. Memory is to use, not to stay empty.
For very low memory machines there are some "frugal" distros like Antix or Bodhi.

[thepartypooper]

thank you guys for clearing that up for me

[bobafetthotmail]

caching to RAM allows faster loading times of stuff already there.

This is very apparent on windows 7 when you transition from 1 GB to 2 or more GB, Ubuntu has this at 512 Mb and 1 GB I think.

Interface snappy, less stutter in programs, overall better user experience.

If it needs that RAM to do actual stuff, it trashes cached data.

[Makoto]

You might be able to curb this by limiting your use of software that calls libraries other than gtk's.

Programs like vlc, yakuake and ktorrent call qt libraries and the OS would want to cache them.