Ok my memory cache is a little over 1G. And it's swapping for memory like crazy. So what is the cache? I always thought it was use for keeping programs handy and it release space to active programs when needed. Or did I miss something?


procs -----------memory---------- ---swap-- -----io---- --system-- -----cpu------
r b swpd free buff cache si so bi bo in cs us sy id wa st
0 2 1048552 15596 2808 1291180 0 0 1645 1945 1453 2266 11 4 15 70 0
0 2 1048332 16532 2824 1290156 143 0 1673 3875 1503 1977 12 4 13 70 0
2 1 1048268 15996 2824 1289564 81 0 1128 2737 1428 2150 20 5 18 58 0
1 2 1048212 16232 2832 1289444 59 0 1276 1429 1426 1963 25 5 29 41 0
1 3 1048164 15556 2840 1290644 60 0 1387 1601 1360 1708 10 4 22 64 0
2 1 1048132 15584 2832 1290652 32 0 1027 1636 1366 1687 9 3 20 67 0
2 2 1048092 15912 2852 1289684 35 0 1053 1228 1328 1701 12 4 24 61 0
0 2 1048028 22216 2892 1284048 40 0 1564 824 1354 1638 12 4 16 67 0
0 1 1047924 16844 2900 1289328 169 0 988 1631 1275 1400 9 3 35 53 0
2 2 1047884 16652 2888 1290088 11 0 1284 2013 1338 1618 10 3 33 54 0
0 3 1047664 15388 2888 1291384 133 0 1207 2191 1402 1775 11 4 35 50 0
0 1 1047604 16160 2952 1292488 63 0 1371 4428 1516 2522 11 5 37 48 0
0 1 1047604 16656 2952 1292372 8 0 968 16 1265 1401 10 3 42 45 0
0 1 1046812 15944 2948 1293324 509 0 1087 2649 1345 1670 9 4 37 50 0

In Linux memory is kept in a big pool. Active memory gets first call on memory. Whatever it does not use goes into cache/buffers. If active memory needs more, buffer/cache gives it up. When active memory is done with a chunk, cache/buffers take it back. It is in constant flux this way.

What strikes me as odd is that you have swapins but no swapouts. I've always heard it that you need to worry about swapins if you have a lot of swapouts. I've seen swapouts without swapins (normal due to aging of processes) but not vice-versa before.

Are you seeing a significant slowdown in what you're running?