Virtual Memory usage
 

I use Redhat Linux 9.0 (2.4.20-8) on x-86 based machine. I have 256 MB RAM and a swap space of 447MB as redhat linux detects only 218MB or RAM. (Actually 32 MB is shared with video memory)

What I fail to understand is whenever I start my system, I see (Using System Monitor in Redhat Linux) the Swap space usage is 0 MB and it slowly grows after a period of time of usage of certain applications.

Does it mean that Linux does not load anything to the swap space after starting up and loads all its processes to the main memory (and yes... My main memory is occupied...normally 190- 192 MB out of 218, though not always)

Secondly, one of the KDE utility for processes list, shows 63 processes while the other System Monitor in GNOME, shows around 22-23 process..
Please let me know what exactly is happening??

Linux may dribble out some stuff to swap here and there but, yeah, as a rule it doesn't swap anything out unless it's real close to out of physical RAM. (Also, some memory is reserved to the kernel so you'll never see your full physical RAM reported.) Anyway - so then you run apps for awhile, use up physical RAM, and begin to swap.

Not sure about the process differential - Gnome may only be reporting your processes and you may have to twiddle it to see everything. (22-23 with a DE running sounds awfully small for a system-wide count.)

Do a 'ps aux' in a terminal for each - should still be different because they run different processes, but that'd probably be closer.