> 	version of gcc used in NetBSD uses a lot more memory than earlier
> 	versions, plus compile flags default to -O2 which causes it to
> 	use even more memory when optimising.
> 
> 	Are you using a GENERIC or cutomised kernel?
customized.

next test i've done with 15M available 

NetBSD 1.5 (local) #3: Fri Feb 16 11:37:11 CET 2001
    wojtek@wojtek.from.pl:/usr/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/local
cpu0: Intel Pentium/MMX (586-class)
total memory = 14976 KB
avail memory = 12332 KB


and i could not understand it:

67 processes:  66 sleeping, 1 on processor

Memory: 4212K Act, 2288K Inact, 184K Wired, 948K Free, 27M Swap, 501M Swap free


used and free memory does not sum up to 12332!!!!