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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > macOS > 'Flushing' the memory?

'Flushing' the memory?
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nickday
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Apr 1, 2003, 05:14 AM
 
Hi,

Not quite sure if flushing is the best name for this, but it'll do. Basically, i've noticed that once i've had a few apps open and then close them, my free RAM stays on the low value - as if the program was still running.

I've ran MacJanitor all tasks and at some point it says "rebuilding local database" at which time the free RAM shoots back up to something more reasonable that it should be at.

Is this a 'feature' of OS X not reporting the RAM correctly, or can I somehow set it to do this 'flushing' at specified intervals, or just from terminal?

Cheers,
Nick
     
iohead
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Apr 1, 2003, 05:18 AM
 
Originally posted by nickday:
Hi,

Not quite sure if flushing is the best name for this, but it'll do. Basically, i've noticed that once i've had a few apps open and then close them, my free RAM stays on the low value - as if the program was still running.

I've ran MacJanitor all tasks and at some point it says "rebuilding local database" at which time the free RAM shoots back up to something more reasonable that it should be at.

Is this a 'feature' of OS X not reporting the RAM correctly, or can I somehow set it to do this 'flushing' at specified intervals, or just from terminal?

Cheers,
Nick
You don't need to flush anything in general. Are you experiencing any slow-downs because of low memory?
     
nickday  (op)
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Apr 1, 2003, 05:24 AM
 
Originally posted by iohead:
You don't need to flush anything in general. Are you experiencing any slow-downs because of low memory?
Well i'm not sure if its actually slower when it reports low memory, but it does seem odd that it sort of sticks down on the lower value.

For example, I only have Safari running at the moment and only have 48mb free, whereas when I did a cold bootup earlier on, then ran Safari I had well over 120mb free. It's like the programs i've run inbetween the cold boot and now are still hogging the RAM, even though they're closed. Or it may not be hogging it, just reporting that it does... if that makes sense!

Nick
     
mactechie
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Apr 1, 2003, 05:44 AM
 
Silly question perhaps, but which appliction is telling you that you are low on memory? Classic Finder? or are you getting the info somewhere else?
Is the application a reliable source of info?
     
nickday  (op)
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Apr 1, 2003, 05:46 AM
 
The application that's telling me is called MenuMeters and runs in the menubar.

Running top in terminal tells me the same information.

Nick
     
WJMoore
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Apr 1, 2003, 05:58 AM
 
Don't worry about it. If there is free memory that is not being reported it will indeed be used if necessary. I'm not sure why people get so hung up on memory usage. I guess it must be a holdover from Mac OS < X. I can assure you that the memory management in OS X is very smart and does not require any user intervention just leave it alone to do its job.

The only time when you would even need to care about memory is if the hard disk starts 'thrashing' (technical term used in operating systems subject I did) as pages are swapped in and out continuously. At this point you need to quit things or get more RAM. I hope that doesn't come across too angry but you really don't need to have any concerns about memory management in OS X.

Here are some links to pages which appear to have good information (I only skimmed over them though)

http://dataexpedition.com/~sbnoble/Tips/memory.html
http://www.ussg.iu.edu/UAU/memory/
I even found a memory management simulator written in Java. As you'd expect it works fine with OS X, just follow the instructions from the section titled 'Installation'
http://www.ontko.com/moss/memory/install_unix.html

Wesley
     
mactechie
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Apr 1, 2003, 05:59 AM
 
Strange, I just had top running, and the levels reacted correctly to launching and quiting applications. Is it possible that top and menumeters are conflicting in some way (ok ok, I don't know MenuMeters)
It could be that they are interfering with eachothers ability to accuratly refresh.

461 TruBlueEnv 1.07G Virtual memory!
     
WJMoore
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Apr 1, 2003, 06:05 AM
 
Originally posted by mactechie:
461 TruBlueEnv 1.07G Virtual memory!
Yeah that's nothing to worry about. The RPRVT column is the one to look at. It is memory private to that process. My Safari process currently has 65Mb in that column, the largest of all apps listed...

Wesley
     
mactechie
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Apr 1, 2003, 06:27 AM
 
I'm running Chimera for this website *and 4 other tabed sited, RPRVT is topping out at ca. 30MB, Safari (v 60) with 4 open windows is around the 16MB mark, TruBlue just under 62MB. If you quit Safari and MenuMeters what does Top show you? Relaunch safari, and see how quickly it picks up memory. Could be an issue with Safari, (or a particular website). A big cache???
     
[APi]TheMan
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Apr 1, 2003, 02:26 PM
 
Originally posted by mactechie:
461 TruBlueEnv 1.07G Virtual memory!
kill `ps -auxw | grep "TruBlueEnv" | grep -v "grep" | awk '{print $2}'`

Die, Classic.
"In Nomine Patris, Et Fili, Et Spiritus Sancti"

     
P
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Apr 1, 2003, 03:02 PM
 
Originally posted by [APi]TheMan:
kill `ps -auxw | grep "TruBlueEnv" | grep -v "grep" | awk '{print $2}'`

Die, Classic.
Yeah, or you could just use killall...
     
[APi]TheMan
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Apr 1, 2003, 06:08 PM
 
Originally posted by P:
Yeah, or you could just use killall...
461 TruBlueEnv 1.07G Virtual memory

Or you could kill 461
"In Nomine Patris, Et Fili, Et Spiritus Sancti"

     
mactechie
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Apr 2, 2003, 05:35 AM
 
you american
     
Vanquish
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Apr 2, 2003, 07:02 AM
 
what does that kill command combined with grep do ?
     
ARENA
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Apr 2, 2003, 09:16 AM
 
Originally posted by Vanquish:
what does that kill command combined with grep do ?
'Grep' is just telling the kill command, what to kill.
     
sniffer
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Apr 2, 2003, 09:59 AM
 
In top the only thing you might watch for (except bad programs/behaivor ofcurse) is how high your page outs are. If they get (accelerate) relative high in normal use, it means that data is swapped out of your ram and into the hardisk to make room for your ram needs. This disk swapping can slow things down. If so, you might consider getting more ram to fit your usage. Other than that, you shouldn't worry to much about how much free ram you have. Os ten makes use of what is aviable regardless, and that's a good thing.

Sniffer gone old-school sig
     
   
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