[NTLUG:Discuss] where's the memory?

[kbrannen@gte.net]

bryn konti wrote:
> Turn off uneeded processes and stop them from auto
> starting.  If none of your processes are memory hogs
> from what the ps or top  commands can tell you, then
> the main memory hog is  probably the kernel. As a last

Hmm, I hadn't thought of that.  Can the kernel cache stuff for the X server? 
See my comment I left below.

> resort you could recompile the kernel and get rid of
> the things you know you'll never use and  install
> loadable kernel modules instead of drivers/functions
> compliled directly into the kernel.  I have done this

I normally do that, but this time I am using a stock kernel.  I guess I need 
to bite the bullet and see what that does for me.

> myself, and it nearly always provides a noticeable
> performance boost.....and besides fundamental
> customization  is what linux is all about in my
> opinion.  And  if you don't like the new smaller
> kernel you could always boot back to the old bloated
> one.  

:-)

Thanks,
Kevin

> 
> 
> --- kbrannen at gte.net wrote:
...
>>At first I thought it was X cacheing a bunch of
>>pixmaps or something and not 
>>letting go, now I'm not so sure.  Does anyone else
>>know how I might track this 
>>down?  Or where the memory is going?
>>
>>I've suspected the X server because if I shut down
>>the X environment, then a 
>>"free" back at the console shows that I've recovered
>>almost all of the "lost" 
>>memory (I log in non-X and use startx).
...