High RAM memory usage compared to other systems

hotvic · 2013-08-12 14:28:42

I'm suffering with memory usage problems, only in open 2 tabs of facebook(it's only for example, any 'heavy' page freeze also) in firefox*(for example also, but this occur in chromium also) freeze computer.
I've 1GB of memory, it isn't big but also isn't very little.

I'm using XFCE with compiz (yes, compiz, since use a very lightweight openbox-based session doesn't help, then compiz...) when system start (after login) system is consuming 130MB approximately of RAM.

after 1 hour if close all open apps and see memory usage again consume is something about 350MB, "only solution" is reboot.

all applications(htop,free -m,xfce's system monitor...) that I've tried to monitor memory usage show above scenario, except the 'ps_mem' script in AUR.

in the 'ps_mem' script the result is following (with opera browser open, less memory offensive browser but I really prefer firefox):

 Private  +   Shared  =  RAM used       Program 

 88.0 KiB +  10.0 KiB =  98.0 KiB       agetty
380.0 KiB +  34.5 KiB = 414.5 KiB       sshd
408.0 KiB +  93.0 KiB = 501.0 KiB       gpg-agent (2)
372.0 KiB + 142.0 KiB = 514.0 KiB       avahi-daemon (2)
456.0 KiB +  60.0 KiB = 516.0 KiB       systemd-logind
280.0 KiB + 261.0 KiB = 541.0 KiB       sh
476.0 KiB + 103.5 KiB = 579.5 KiB       xfconfd
476.0 KiB + 153.5 KiB = 629.5 KiB       gvfsd
604.0 KiB +  34.5 KiB = 638.5 KiB       systemd-udevd
588.0 KiB + 102.5 KiB = 690.5 KiB       dbus-launch (3)
576.0 KiB + 119.5 KiB = 695.5 KiB       sudo
668.0 KiB +  77.5 KiB = 745.5 KiB       cups-browsed
620.0 KiB + 179.5 KiB = 799.5 KiB       at-spi2-registryd
804.0 KiB +  67.0 KiB = 871.0 KiB       htop
756.0 KiB + 131.0 KiB = 887.0 KiB       gconfd-2
800.0 KiB + 126.0 KiB = 926.0 KiB       upowerd
752.0 KiB + 183.5 KiB = 935.5 KiB       xscreensaver
920.0 KiB +  85.0 KiB =   1.0 MiB       cupsd
876.0 KiB + 241.0 KiB =   1.1 MiB       gvfsd-fuse
692.0 KiB + 429.0 KiB =   1.1 MiB       systemd-journald
880.0 KiB + 273.5 KiB =   1.1 MiB       at-spi-bus-launcher
  1.2 MiB + 125.0 KiB =   1.3 MiB       udisksd
  1.4 MiB + 486.5 KiB =   1.9 MiB       dbus-daemon (5)
  1.4 MiB + 533.5 KiB =   1.9 MiB       panel-6-systray
  1.5 MiB + 430.0 KiB =   2.0 MiB       lightdm (2)
  1.6 MiB + 572.0 KiB =   2.1 MiB       xfce4-session
  1.5 MiB + 683.0 KiB =   2.2 MiB       panel-5-datetim
  1.5 MiB + 706.5 KiB =   2.2 MiB       panel-2-actions
  1.6 MiB + 723.0 KiB =   2.3 MiB       panel-4-systeml
  2.0 MiB + 543.5 KiB =   2.5 MiB       xfsettingsd
  2.0 MiB + 579.5 KiB =   2.6 MiB       systemd (3)
  2.3 MiB + 815.0 KiB =   3.1 MiB       emerald
  2.8 MiB + 578.5 KiB =   3.3 MiB       gnome-keyring-daemon (3)
  3.2 MiB + 946.5 KiB =   4.1 MiB       zsh (2)
 16.1 MiB + -12144.0 KiB =   4.2 MiB    polkitd
  4.1 MiB + 465.0 KiB =   4.6 MiB       notify-osd
  4.5 MiB +   1.6 MiB =   6.2 MiB       xfce4-panel
  5.1 MiB +   1.2 MiB =   6.3 MiB       panel-7-mixer
  7.7 MiB +   1.4 MiB =   9.0 MiB       xterm (2)
 12.0 MiB + 636.0 KiB =  12.6 MiB       opera:libflashp
 24.3 MiB + -10774.5 KiB =  13.8 MiB    Xorg
 18.6 MiB +   1.1 MiB =  19.7 MiB       gnome-do (2)
 23.2 MiB +   2.4 MiB =  25.6 MiB       compiz
168.4 MiB +   3.2 MiB = 171.7 MiB       opera
---------------------------------
                        320.1 MiB
=================================

as you can see in 'ps_mem' memory usage isn't nothing absurdly it's ok.

another example, this problem stop me make certain things, for example is impossible browsing in web while programming in eclipse, this is very uncomfortable.

other thing, this not occur in Windows XP, I can open more than 10 tabs in firefox, and eclipse open, etc...

any needing information, tell-me!

firefox*: with memory cache turned off in about:config

Last edited by hotvic (2013-08-12 17:42:21)

karol · 2013-08-12 14:39:50

WinXP may be using a swapfile (or whatever was it called).

Edit: 1 GB RAM is pretty limiting nowadays, I have 1 GB too and even w/o programming in eclipse I have problems with browsing js and muoltimedia-heavy websites.
Have you tried using https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/zramswap/ ?

Last edited by karol (2013-08-12 14:44:18)

hotvic · 2013-08-12 15:16:08

yes, I'm tried zramswap, help a bit only

I don't remember just now if Win XP has a swap file.

WonderWoofy · 2013-08-12 15:19:15

It does have a swap file. It creates it on its own and additionally creates a hibernation file as well.

karol · 2013-08-12 15:24:01

You can disable the swap fie in Windows and see if the performance degenerates.

I'm using a light WM - dwm - and right after booting into X (w/o opening terminals, vim and firefox) I have about 40 MB RAM used. Still, browsing e.g. Gamespot is not fun at all and I try to have just one or two tabs with Gamespot open at a time.

hotvic · 2013-08-12 16:19:30

http://i.imgur.com/9C8Y4EI.png

638MB with these tabs open and swap file disabled! this can't be done in Arch, certainly freeze!

kenny3794 · 2013-08-12 16:33:57

I've had some limiting performance with browsers lately (Firefox and Chromium). I found it had a considerable cache size utilizing lots of fragmented space on my home directory. I cleared the cache and have since set a limit to the cache size of 30 MB for Firefox. Between multiple users across multiple browser sessions, I had at least 2 GB of cache data on my 10 GB home partition! So far (1 day), this has been helpful. Perhaps this could help you also?

**Update -- I missed that you said cache is turned off. Have you deleted existing cache? Also, I have seen the Hardware Acceleration option affect performance on some PCs.

Ken

Last edited by kenny3794 (2013-08-12 16:36:16)

karol · 2013-08-12 16:36:56

hotvic, could you please change the title to something more descriptive? 'memory problems' sounds like you have problems e.g. remembering / recalling things, which is not an Arch issue ;P

kenny3794 wrote:

I've had some limiting performance with browsers lately (Firefox and Chromium). I found it had a considerable cache size utilizing lots of fragmented space on my home directory. I cleared the cache and have since set a limit to the cache size of 30 MB for Firefox. Between multiple users across multiple browser sessions, I had at least 2 GB of cache data on my 10 GB home partition! So far (1 day), this has been helpful. Perhaps this could help you also?
Ken

OP is talking about RAM, not HDD space.

hotvic · 2013-08-12 17:42:47

Changed post title karol

Last edited by hotvic (2013-08-12 17:44:05)

hotvic · 2013-08-12 18:49:57

forgot to mention that system shows that I've 1004MB (right!) but when memory usage reaches 700MB system freeze, so never arrives to use all memory.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-08-12 14:28:42

High RAM memory usage compared to other systems

#2 2013-08-12 14:39:50

Re: High RAM memory usage compared to other systems

#3 2013-08-12 15:16:08

Re: High RAM memory usage compared to other systems

#4 2013-08-12 15:19:15

Re: High RAM memory usage compared to other systems

#5 2013-08-12 15:24:01

Re: High RAM memory usage compared to other systems

#6 2013-08-12 16:19:30

Re: High RAM memory usage compared to other systems

#7 2013-08-12 16:33:57

Re: High RAM memory usage compared to other systems

#8 2013-08-12 16:36:56

Re: High RAM memory usage compared to other systems

#9 2013-08-12 17:42:47

Re: High RAM memory usage compared to other systems

#10 2013-08-12 18:49:57

Re: High RAM memory usage compared to other systems

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