'free' and 'top' showing how much RAM is free for non-kernel to use


Subject: 'free' and 'top' showing how much RAM is free for non-kernel to use
From: Robert Fout (rfout@mahi.damien.edu)
Date: Thu Mar 02 2000 - 22:30:04 MST


yes, we did kinda go off on a tangent there.

thanks for answering that question (the question about free and top)

Bob
---------------------------------------
"The knack to flying is learning how to
throw yourself at the ground and miss."

>From "Life the Universe and Everything"
by Douglas Adams

Robert Fout
MacOS Guru and MkLinux/Yellowdog Linux User
rfout@damien.edu
http://osx.damien.edu/rfout/
ICQ# 48433406

> From: Jim Cole <greyleaf@yggdrasill.net>
> Reply-To: yellowdog-general@lists.yellowdoglinux.com
> Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2000 22:20:45 -0700 (MST)
> To: yellowdog-general@lists.yellowdoglinux.com
> Subject: Re: 'free' and 'top' show the wrong amount of RAM
>
> Jason P. Stanford's bits of Fri, 3 Mar 2000 translated to:
>
>> Disk : 1,000 * 1024 bytes = 1,024,000 bytes =~ 1MB
>> Memory : 2^20 bytes = 1,048,576 bytes =~ 1MB RAM
>>
>> One megabyte of disk storage is comprised of 1,000 units of 1,024 bytes,
>> whereas one megabyte of memory (RAM) is comprised of 2^20 bytes.
>
> I would have to disagree. 1000 units of 1024 bytes is just 1000 1KB blocks,
> not 1 MB. A MB is always 1024^2 bytes. If you check the man pages for du
> and df, they at least agree with me ;) Both equate the -m (--megabytes)
> option with --blocksize=1048576.
>
> I am 99.9% certain that *missing memory* issue that started all of this
> is due to the fact that free and top on a monolithic Linux kernel report
> the remaining memory available for daemons, user programs, etc. after
> the kernel has been loaded up.
>
>
> Jim
>



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