Issues with Slackware 12.2 installation on Toshiba 7000CT-all Memory used!

linus72 · 03-09-2009, 08:43 PM

Wow, I don't know what's wrong-I installed all 3 disks with only as much software as I needed-no image programs,etc.
Anyway-everything seems fine-boot up-log in root-then typed- "free -m"
Answer-
total used free shared buffers cached
149 121 27 0 30 66
+/- buffers/cache 24 124
Swap- 313 0 313

THIS IS BEFORE "STARTX"!
So, "xwmconfig"-chose fluxbox

Then it jumps to 143 used/5 free/buffers-30/cached-75
buffers/cache=36/112
Swap- 313/0 used
i tried Swapon-says it's on-but what's up??
I don't even dare start XFCE4 or KDE!
For comparisons I just had GoblinX-2.7/Wolvix-1.10/and Debian Lenny installed and they were using (respectively) in percentage-20%/17%/35% of RAM, they were runing Fluxbox/fluxbox/LXDE.
And they each only had just enough partition space for install- please see this thread- ( http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...nstall-709372/ )
What is eating all the RAM??!
The machine is a Toshiba 7000CT-160MB RAM/4GB HD
I don't have Gparted installed so I don't know if the 4GB HD is filled up but I doubt it.
HELP!

H_TeXMeX_H · 03-10-2009, 05:19 AM

Nothing is wrong, you have 124 MB of RAM free, but 30 MB is being used by disk buffers and 66 MB is being used by disk cache, however, these will be given over to programs when they need it.

linus72 · 03-10-2009, 06:23 AM

What an idiot I am-Damn it Jim!
How did I read that wrong?
Well-I'll be working on it this morning...did notice after reboot that everything on the screen is hazy while booting-I can't read the text scrolling by-then at login everything's readable-is this a problem?
Oh-why isn't swap being used??Even running 3 apps on XFCE4 It still says 0 swap??

hitest · 03-10-2009, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linus72

Oh-why isn't swap being used??Even running 3 apps on XFCE4 It still says 0 swap??

Your system will use the swap when it needs to. Run some labor intensive tasks like compiling a program, or building something with a slack build script and you may see some swap usage.

H_TeXMeX_H · 03-10-2009, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linus72

What an idiot I am-Damn it Jim!
How did I read that wrong?
Well-I'll be working on it this morning...did notice after reboot that everything on the screen is hazy while booting-I can't read the text scrolling by-then at login everything's readable-is this a problem?
Oh-why isn't swap being used??Even running 3 apps on XFCE4 It still says 0 swap??

For the text scrolling problem, that usually depends on whether you're booting with framebuffer console enabled on not.

Assuming you're using lilo as bootloader (the default), check '/etc/lilo.conf' and you should see something like:

Code:

# Normal VGA console
vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# End LILO global section

You can choose any of those resolutions in order to try and alleviate the problem, but there should be only one 'vga=' statement uncommented, so keep the rest commented out. In this case I'm using 'vga=normal' which means I'm not using the framebuffer console, just standard VGA console. Technically you can also get even higher resolutions, just follow the pattern.

As for swap, you need to leave the computer on for some time before swap will be used. You can also mess with the swappiness, but I don't recommend it.