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11-07-2003, 08:47 PM
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#1
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Member
Registered: Oct 2003
Distribution: Debian, Slackware
Posts: 48
Rep:
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RAM missing?
I have an old computer with 233 mhz and 48 mb of RAM which I decided to install RedHat 7.1 on in order to learn a little about Linux. So far things have been fairly smooth, and I must admit liking the overall system a great deal. But, I just noticed the other day that, with free and top, my RAM is being reported as 46176. I don't recall if this was the case right after installing the new OS, but I am quite confident that I had more RAM than that under windows. Could I actually be shorter on RAM now? With such limited resources already, I hate to lose such a chunk of memory at one pop. Where could it have gone? Obviously I am a complete newbie to Linux, but I am also not too up on such matters on losing RAM, as I have never had it happen before. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Cothrige
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11-07-2003, 09:03 PM
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#2
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Member
Registered: Jun 2003
Distribution: SuSE 11.0
Posts: 171
Rep:
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Maybe I can help ....
I had a similiar problem with SuSE ..... 320 MB of RAM installed but it only showed me that I have somethin like 312 or so under top ..... I use GRUB to boot ..... in the boot options I put "mem=320M" and it now sees 320 MBīs of RAM .... :-)
I assume itīs possible somehow as well with LILO .......
Da Wini G .

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11-07-2003, 09:26 PM
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#3
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Member
Registered: Oct 2003
Distribution: Debian, Slackware
Posts: 48
Original Poster
Rep:
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Thanks for the help. I looked in /etc/lilo.conf, which I assumed would be the appropriate file, and found nothing relating to memory at all. Should there be such? And should I add something? I am reticent to do so without being certain of the form since I assume it would make booting difficult if I mess it up. Is that the case?
Also, in trying to find things relating to memory I ran what I know of, which is surely nothing at all, and this is what I got:
Free: total used free
Mem: 46176 44172 2004
top:
Mem: 46176K av, 44376K used, 1800K free
cat /proc/meminfo:
total used free
Mem: 47284224 45694976 1589248
MemTotal: 46176 kB
MemFree: 1552 kB
Is it my imagination, or is the first total under meminfo different than the MemTotal, or the other totals reported by the other programs? Does that mean that the system is recognizing my total memory, i.e. 48 mb, and just not using it? If so, where in the world does it get the very odd number of 46176? What is the right way to read these things?
Many thanks
Cothrige
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11-18-2003, 06:18 PM
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#4
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Member
Registered: Jun 2003
Distribution: SuSE 11.0
Posts: 171
Rep:
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If ure still there ......
If ure still playing around with memory ..... :
How to read them ?
Must say that Iīmn not sure myself ..... so I have to  it up sometime somewhere .
Isnīt there a boot-promt with LILO where you can just put "mem=48M" .... that would be the safest ... maybe you have to change your LILO configuration so that it gives you more time ....
add the "mem=48M" where the other boot options i.e. where the kernel is ,graphical boot or not ... that kinda stuff .....
If you have a rescue/boot CD when you can I assume change the settings in the file on the hard disk or prop a lot better methinks ... :
Write the LILO boot loader on a floppy (i.e. change ur configuration for a short time ... then of course back again (LILO.conf)) and set (BIOS) the computer to boot from Floppy which would mean that you could see what effect different boot-settings have .... safely .
Da Wini G.

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11-18-2003, 06:48 PM
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#5
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Member
Registered: Oct 2003
Distribution: Debian, Slackware
Posts: 48
Original Poster
Rep:
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Oh yeah, I am still trying to figure it out. I just cannot imagine losing 3 megs of ram like that, and with my slow system I need it! :-) And yes, I get the graphical screen for lilo, but I can control-x (I think) and get the text version. By the way, do you need to include the quotes around mem=48M?
Many thanks,
cothrige
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11-19-2003, 07:54 PM
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#6
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Member
Registered: Jun 2003
Distribution: SuSE 11.0
Posts: 171
Rep:
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Easy it should be ....
U donīt need the quotes .
The Ctrl + x (F1 to F7 or similiar ) is as far as I know ( well with SuSE 8.2 )only once you have booted the system .
There must be the option to change the setting from graphical to text-mode in LILO.conf .... or do the floppy thing I mentioned above .
With a 233Mhz with 48 RAM its always prop good idea to improve system performance through optimization .... just search on yolinux.com ..... my guess .
Or if possible you could always try a different flavour of Linux as Redhat is uppossed to be awfully bloated and RAM-hungry ..... methinks .
Da Wini G .
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