Clearing RAM in Linux

As a programmer, you may encounter situations where your Linux system's RAM usage is high. Clearing up the RAM can help improve the performance of your system. In this guide, we will explore various methods to clear up RAM in Linux using shell scripts in Bash.

Method 1: Using "free" Command

The "free" command displays the total amount of free and used physical memory in your system. By using this command, we can get an idea of the amount of RAM being used and available in your system.

To clear the RAM using the "free" command, we first need to clear the page cache and dentries. We can do this by executing the following command:

$ sudo echo 1 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches

This command will clear the page cache and dentries from your RAM. After executing this command, we can check the RAM usage again using the "free" command. If you find any improvement in the RAM usage, that means the cache has been cleared successfully.

Method 2: Using "swapoff" Command

Another way to clear up RAM in Linux is by using the "swapoff" command. This command disables the use of the swap partition, which can free up some space in your RAM.

To disable the swap partition, we can execute the following command:

$ sudo swapoff -a

After executing this command, we can check the RAM usage again using the "free" command. If you find any improvement in the RAM usage, that means the swap partition has been disabled successfully.

Method 3: Using "sysctl" Command

The "sysctl" command is used to modify kernel parameters. We can use this command to clear the RAM in Linux. We can modify the parameters in the kernel and use them to clear the RAM.

To clear the RAM using the "sysctl" command, we need to execute the following commands:

$ sudo sysctl -w vm.drop_caches=3

This command will clear all pagecache, dentries and inodes in your RAM. After executing this command, we can check the RAM usage again using the "free" command. If you find any improvement in the RAM usage, that means the RAM has been cleared successfully.

Conclusion

Clearing up RAM in Linux can help improve the performance of your system. In this guide, we explored various methods to clear up RAM in Linux using shell scripts in Bash. By using these methods, you can free up some space in your RAM and improve your system's performance.