Re^3: Inactive memory and OSX

your 'need to purge' is purely psychological

You're probably right! It does seem to me that browsers and text editors etc are slower to load and run while this is going on, but maybe that's simply because the perl script claims the 'inactive' memory that these other programs had been using.

The system("purge") call does work, but as you point out, it's probably just as well to leave it out.

Thanks again!

Michael

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Re^4: Inactive memory and OSX by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Jul 05, 2013 at 09:51 UTC
but maybe that's simply because the perl script claims the 'inactive' memory that these other programs had been using. Indeed. It is that exact scenario that my brother experienced that brought this to my attention. He'd just installed a new piece of software that used a substantial amount of memory, and he noticed that all his other regular programs seemed less responsive. He thought he'd acquired a virus :) Once we worked out that it was just that those other programs were no longer benefiting from having much of their runtime state preserved in 'inactive memory' whilst the new program was running, he praised rather than cursed the feature and was happy. With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday' Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error. "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority". In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.	[reply]

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Re^4: Inactive memory and OSX
by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Jul 05, 2013 at 09:51 UTC

but maybe that's simply because the perl script claims the 'inactive' memory that these other programs had been using.

Indeed. It is that exact scenario that my brother experienced that brought this to my attention.

He'd just installed a new piece of software that used a substantial amount of memory, and he noticed that all his other regular programs seemed less responsive. He thought he'd acquired a virus :)

Once we worked out that it was just that those other programs were no longer benefiting from having much of their runtime state preserved in 'inactive memory' whilst the new program was running, he praised rather than cursed the feature and was happy.

With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday'

Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.

"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".

In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

[reply]