Easiest way to Determine RAM Usage?

Booting, installing, newbie
Post Reply
Message
Author
Cecil
Posts: 25
Joined: Tue 25 Dec 2012, 17:42

Easiest way to Determine RAM Usage?

#1 Post by Cecil »

I have searched the web and forum and haven't found a straightforward answer to this question. I am adding programs to Precise Puppy but want to make sure I am staying less than the 500 MB I have for RAM. I am running Precise off of a USB Flash Drive. What is the easiest way to determine how much RAM my configuration of Puppy is utilizing? Thanks in advance.

Cecil

User avatar
RSH
Posts: 2397
Joined: Mon 05 Sep 2011, 14:21
Location: Germany

#2 Post by RSH »

If you are running your puppy, just type into the cosole:

Code: Select all

free
Result here is:

Code: Select all

sh-4.1# free
              total         used         free       shared      buffers
  Mem:      1554556      1498412        56144            0       380476
 Swap:      4157436            0      4157436
Total:      5711992      1498412      4213580
sh-4.1# 
Second result here is, after flushing the RAM:

Code: Select all

sh-4.1# free
              total         used         free       shared      buffers
  Mem:      1554556       572768       981788            0         2304
 Swap:      4157436            0      4157436
Total:      5711992       572768      5139224
sh-4.1# 
To flush the RAM type into console (or create a bash script):

Code: Select all

sync; echo 3 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches
[b][url=http://lazy-puppy.weebly.com]LazY Puppy[/url][/b]
[b][url=http://rshs-dna.weebly.com]RSH's DNA[/url][/b]
[url=http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=91422][b]SARA B.[/b][/url]

User avatar
Amgine
Posts: 231
Joined: Thu 22 Sep 2011, 01:27
Location: Washington State

#3 Post by Amgine »

The free command always confused me, since it reads in kilibites..

You can also make it read in Megabites use

Code: Select all

free -m

postfs1

#4 Post by postfs1 »

In LINUX QUIRKY - 1.40 :arrow:

Code: Select all

cat /proc/meminfo

User avatar
8-bit
Posts: 3406
Joined: Wed 04 Apr 2007, 03:37
Location: Oregon

#5 Post by 8-bit »

Amgine wrote:The free command always confused me, since it reads in kilibites..

You can also make it read in Megabites use

Code: Select all

free -m
I am running Lupu 520 and when I type "free -m" in a terminal, I get a busybox message of usage being only "free".
It evidently does not support the parameter in Lupu 520.

User avatar
Monsie
Posts: 631
Joined: Thu 01 Dec 2011, 07:37
Location: Kamloops BC Canada

Easiest way to Determine RAM Usage?

#6 Post by Monsie »

In Wary Puppy, I get the following:

Code: Select all

# free
             total         used         free       shared      buffers
Mem:        385068       377792         7276            0        33912
-/+ buffers:             343880        41188
Swap:       396280            0       396280
# free -m
             total         used         free       shared      buffers
Mem:           376          366            9            0           33
-/+ buffers:                333           42
Swap:          386            0          386
I am assuming the apparent discrepancy with the values in kilobytes versus megabytes has to do with the algorithm that says: 1mb = 1024k

Monsie
Last edited by Monsie on Fri 18 Jan 2013, 05:59, edited 1 time in total.
My [u]username[/u] is pronounced: "mun-see". Derived from my surname, it was my nickname throughout high school.

User avatar
Sky Aisling
Posts: 1368
Joined: Sat 27 Jun 2009, 23:02
Location: Port Townsend, WA. USA

Easiest way to Determine RAM Usage?

#7 Post by Sky Aisling »

Cecil,

You might want to look at *Hardinfo* and some of the tools it offers.

Menu/System/System Status and Config/Hardinfo

Post Reply