Subject: Re: where has all my memory gone
To: port-pmax@netbsd.org <port-pmax@netbsd.org>
From: Martin Stark <Martin.Stark@rz-online.de>
List: port-pmax
Date: 01/09/2000 10:55:05
Chris Tribo wrote:
> 
> On Sat, 8 Jan 2000, Martin Stark wrote:
> 
> > Hello friends,
> >
> > `top` shows the following chart concerning memory consumption on my
> > DECstation 2100/12MB RAM:
> >
> > Memory: 3480K Act 792K Inact 380K Wired 920K Free 13M Swap 117M Swap
> > free
> >
> > Is that ok? And where is the rest of 12MB RAM?
> >
> Memory: 3480K and Free 13M doesn't mean what you think. 
[...]
> Free 13M is the total amount of
> memory the kernel is *currently* addressing, while Memory: 3480K is how
> much of that memory is actually being used. 

hmm... I think it means: 3480K active and 13M Swap, but only 920K
free, doesn't it?

[...]
> So why address all the RAM and VM space in
> your machine unless you need it? On my 5000/240 I have about 400MB of RAM
> and no swap space. Believe me, if you start a kernel compile, the RAM will
> go up in top. I've seen it as high as 24MB, but I don't sit and watch my
> kernel compiles unless I'm inredibly bored :)
> 

that was what happened to me: I compiled fvwm95, watched the
swapping and asked me where has all my physical memory gone...

Thanks for your answer,
Martin