[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

Extreme Memory Shortage on RedHat 4.0



Hi!

I've installed Linux from the RedHat 4.0 distribution on a Pentium computer with 16 MB of RAM on a hard disk of about 200 MB, 20 MB of are dedicated to a swap partition. The kernel is naturally 2.0.something. 

Now, I tried to run X windows but couldn't get it to run on a virtual screen size higher than 320x200. When I executed "free" I noticed that at least 14 MB of my RAM was already taken by the processes which were already running. As for the swap partition memory, hardly any of it was used.

I tried to remove unnecessary processes such as sendmail and gpm but it didn't free a lot of memory. I have 6 virtual consoles but had no luck trying to reduce their number. I also tried adding a swap file, but X still refused to initiate.

I remember installing Linux from an old slackware distribution (with kernel 1.2.13) on the second partition of a 486 DX2 computer with 8 MB of RAM and no swap partition or swap file. On that computer I had enough memory to run X.

I should note that as far as today, I initiated Linux by using the LOADLIN.EXE utility with the kernel which was supplied for the RedHat "boot-disk"-less CD-ROM installation.There is no problem to prepare a LILO boot disk, I just didn't have the time to do it yet.

Do you suggest:
1. Switching to a kernel version 1.2?
2. Installing the Slackware 96 distribution instead?
3. Using LILO ASAP?
4. Something else?

	Shlomi Fish


Follow-Ups: