SuSe 10.0 - Memory disk caching leading to unstability
 

Hello,
I have been on and off using linux for a couple years and I finally made the leap and there's no going back.

I have had a couple issues however.
I am currently running a Pentium D 3.2ghz with 2gb of ddr2 8000 ram, etc.
When I am running under KDE, a large portion of my ram (over 1gb) is being used for disk cache, this amount continues to increase over time and use of KDE. I understand this is to increase the speed of KDE, using the theory that unused ram is wasted ram, but occasionally the ram will "fill up" and a program will crash saying that it ran out of memory. Typically this happens when I am running a program in wine, but it has happened at other times as well, so I don't believe it is limited to wine.
Is there anyway to set a maximum amount of ram that will be used for Disk Cache? Also, I have never seen the swap file used, I keep a memory program up nearly all of the time to see where my memory is going (which I realize will use some ram, but my application use of ram is normally not that high, its the disk cache that keeps strangling me).

First of all, is my assessment of the problem correct? I'm coming for YEARS of WinBlows use and diagnostics, which could be inhibiting me more than anything else.

Thanks in advance for your help,
Cameron == :newbie:

Is your kernel seeing and using 2G memory? Kernel config may not be set for HIMEM 4G. If all the memory is available and you have a linux swap partition, you should not be getting those memory errors even with less memory unless you do 'mucho' pix and video editing and such.