[CentOS] What is eating my memory?

Thu Aug 30 03:46:37 UTC 2007
Alfred von Campe <alfred at von-campe.com>

> I install centos 5 on a HD while it is in a Compaq with 256Mb  
> memory.  After install, i am in graphics mode (Gnome) and top  
> reports not quite all 256Mb used.
>
> Then I move the HD to a decTOP with 512Mb memory.  I am running non- 
> graphics (init 3).  I ssh into the unit and top reports not quite  
> all of that used.....
>
> So what ate up more than 256Mb memory (X is not running)?
>
> Perhaps there is something I did not clean up properly wrt the move.

Have you done any I/O on the system?  The memory could be in use by  
buffers.  Please post the contents of /proc/meminfo.  Your real free  
memory should be the sum of MemFree + Buffers + Cached.

Alfred