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To: "J.D. Bronson" <jeff_bronson@wixb.com>
References: <6.0.1.1.2.20040102180137.00b3e980@cheyenne.wixb.com>
From: Lowell Gilbert <freebsd-questions-local@be-well.ilk.org>
Date: 02 Jan 2004 19:52:57 -0500
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Subject: Re: memory use on 5.2RC2 i386
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"J.D. Bronson" <jeff_bronson@wixb.com> writes:

> I have noticed that when building apps (via gcc for example) that my
> free RAM (seen via 'top') is diminishing down to almost nothing...

"Free RAM is wasted RAM."

> Is it going to buffer space?
> 
> it looks like at this rate, I will start swapping soon...

I doubt it.  I'm sure the system keeps converting buffer and inactive
memory into free memory as it needs it.

> Any comments or any way to change this behavior?
> 
> ..I dont remember this 'issue' on 4.9....

The FreeBSD virtual memory implementation has always tried to keep
memory full.  This is the subject of a very popular entry in the
FreeBSD Frequently Asked Questions list:
 http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/faq/misc.html#TOP-FREEMEM
-- 
Lowell Gilbert, embedded/networking software engineer, Boston area: 
		resume/CV at http://be-well.ilk.org:8088/~lowell/resume/
		username/password "public"