Memory usage measurement tips needed
 

I keep checking my free memory with free -t -m, and it keeps telling me that all my memory is gone. Now I read the article you have here about not to trust what for example ps tells me about the memory usage. Swap is also looking empty, so it doesn't look like memory shortage.

So how do I tell if ans when I need to go to hardware store and get more memory?

free output
total used free shared buffers cached
Mem: 16047 15814 232 0 278 13350
-/+ buffers/cache: 2185 13861
Swap: 10047 0 10047
Total: 26095 15815 10280

I checked the 3 java apps I'm running with pmap.
mapped: 1099512K writeable/private: 737864K shared: 4212K
mapped: 2641068K writeable/private: 1768912K shared: 3144K
mapped: 1071588K writeable/private: 823668K shared: 3188K

It's not that much usage. I have two more similar applications coming to this computer and this is why I'm worried.

So solutions... new way to check free mem or adding more memory?


- n00b for life

Please try see the memory usage using vmstat command

vmstat 5 5

Also, with top command, you can list down high to low memory usage of services

1. Hit top command
2. The press shift + > (Greater than Symbol)

Keep an eye on this line - it shows actual (application) usage/free. And use [code] tags in future so we can all read it.

Have a read of linuxatemyram for a light-hearted take on your concerns.

Wow thanks, that was very simply put.