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#1 2009-06-25 23:01:23

bl0ndynek
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From: Poland
Registered: 2008-07-04
Posts: 73

How to reduce RAM usage

I browse the Internet today and find screen from Antix distriution. Here is interesting picture http://antix.mepis.org/index.php/Image:AntiX-M8.jpg .My question is how it is posible to use just 33 MB of RAM using X, I have clean arch no deamons and use 32 MB of RAM. Is there any way to reduce RAM usage?

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#2 2009-06-25 23:55:16

broch
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From: L.A. California
Registered: 2006-11-13
Posts: 975

Re: How to reduce RAM usage

I did run kde 3.5.x with nvidia drivers plus Crystal window decoration and it took 79MB.
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/168/79mb.png

Without nvidia this would be ~59MB.
Replacing kde with fluxbox/openbox would have even smaller footprint. Maybe ~30MB
So this is possible.
You need to clean up services, WM/DE, trim down kernel and don't use nvidia drivers and that should do.

Last edited by broch (2009-06-25 23:58:31)

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#3 2009-06-26 00:04:53

whoops
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Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

Re: How to reduce RAM usage

There are a lot of things you can do - some are easy, some hard, some might safe you 50MB, some just 100KB, some make your installation less stable/fast/functional/compatible, some don't.

You can p.e. compile your own custom kernel to safe some.

(Or you can alter the snappiness to have you ram as empty as possible and everything stored in swap instead, I guess... big_smile)

I think the best solution is to ignore it. I've got an insane amount of desktops & applications open the whole time, and never had any problems with RAM (except when trying to compile mozilla stuff, but if something needs 10GB ram I guess the few you can squeeze out of your kernel won't help you anyway).

Unless of course, it's sort of your hobby to reduce your ram usage and/or installing Linux on old PC's and/or random devices (Apple-Netbook, Gamecube, Toaster, Cat... you know...). Then you might want to start out by compiling your own stuff, disabling everything you don't need wherever it's possible and studying every package you install/compile to be able to do that.


... and Stuff.

Last edited by whoops (2009-06-26 00:07:43)

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#4 2009-06-26 00:32:27

broch
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From: L.A. California
Registered: 2006-11-13
Posts: 975

Re: How to reduce RAM usage

(Or you can alter the snappiness to have you ram as empty as possible and everything stored in swap instead, I guess... big_smile)

no that is not how swappiness works, 90% of "advises" regarding swappiness is purely wrong.

Although OP never explained why he wants plenty of free RAM, there are single apps (multimedia/sound/graphics editing) that require a lot of free RAM in contrast to simulataneous watching movies, listen to the music web browsing and document editing.

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#5 2009-06-26 00:48:05

arkham
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From: Stockholm
Registered: 2008-10-26
Posts: 516
Website

Re: How to reduce RAM usage

When I boot my laptop, Xorg+awesome take 35 megabytes of RAM.


"I'm Winston Wolfe. I solve problems."

~ Need moar games? [arch-games] ~ [aurcheck] AUR haz updates? ~

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#6 2009-06-26 00:58:18

whoops
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Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

Re: How to reduce RAM usage

broch wrote:

(Or you can alter the snappiness to have you ram as empty as possible and everything stored in swap instead, I guess... big_smile)

no that is not how swappiness works

Oh, thx - I thought it was just a very bad idea but possible (like: look, I'm only using 2MB RAM! ... as long as I don't try to click on another window... which would take hours anyway...). Don't know where to change that behaviour then.

Yes, sometimes I could use more free RAM, too... but then it's so much, that the 100MB I could strip from other running apps aren't really that much of a help. It's been either "won't get that RAM full anyway" or "mmh... need bigger swap partition.... and new mainboard..." for me so far. 

I was assuming, this is either about "sort of hobby RAM usage optimizing" or "strange / old device" or "too high expectations of possible gain/work ratio", as I really couldn't imagine another use of what one can squeeze out of mentioned 32MB...

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#7 2009-06-26 03:17:33

broch
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From: L.A. California
Registered: 2006-11-13
Posts: 975

Re: How to reduce RAM usage

I was assuming, this is either about "sort of hobby RAM usage optimizing" or "strange / old device" or "too high expectations of possible gain/work ratio", as I really couldn't imagine another use of what one can squeeze out of mentioned 32MB...

well if this is the case, then you are right, this would be wasted time as linux cope just fine with average RAM usage, no need to optimize really. Besides, apps that require more RAM, demand more that you could squize after optimalization of OS.

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#8 2009-06-26 04:26:41

DevoidOfWindows
Member
Registered: 2009-05-24
Posts: 133

Re: How to reduce RAM usage

whoops wrote:

I really couldn't imagine another use of what one can squeeze out of mentioned 32MB...

Back in my day, I only had thirty-two megabytes or RAM, and I managed fine with a web browser, Telnet, graphics program, chat, games, and so-on.  smile

Last edited by DevoidOfWindows (2009-06-26 04:27:39)

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#9 2009-06-26 10:05:36

whoops
Member
Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

Re: How to reduce RAM usage

(Yeah, I remember how it was having to choose if you the soundcard or the modem at boot... and setting up boot disks for different programs that needed the extra 10KB. Maybe that's one of the reasons why some people like to spend hours optimizing ram on such a small scale... sort of nostalgic.)

Last edited by whoops (2009-06-26 10:06:21)

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