Easiest RAM trick *ever*

[amplidood]

As far as RAM is concerned...

The current Mac OS has a really funny way of handling memory that's been let go of by other apps. It sits in "Inactive memory", and most of the time takes *forever* to get released again. Sometimes it just won't release it at all. If you are having memory errors and what not, try this little trick.

1. Open Terminal (in your Utilities)
2. Type the word "purge" (no quotes)
3. Wait for it to finish.

Your Inactive Memory has now been converted back to Free Memory. I do this a few times a day and it's amazing that they haven't built a routine to do this automatically.

[Frodo]

Brilliant!!

Thanks!!

[James Steele]

Very cool... I've actually posted this info (with attribution) to the MOTU-MAC email list. I tried it and watched it free up 400MB. Pretty cool!

[zed]

Hmmmmmmm.
Unfortunately, doing that just gives me the following command line:

-bash: purge: command not found

[beubbo]

Hmmmmmmm.
Unfortunately, doing that just gives me the following command line:

-bash: purge: command not found

Yeah, me too...

When I type Purge nothing happen and when I press Return I got the same result as Zed...
Is there something else to do before the purge starts ? Do we have to quit all opened apps before launching Terminal ?
Btw, my OS language isn't english. Are command lines language dependent ?

Thanks a lot

MacPro 2x2.8 GHz, 10Gb Ram, OSX 10.5.8

[Frodo]

The purge command is part of XCode. If you don't have the XCode package, download it here:

http://developer.apple.com/technologies/tools/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ronjams]

How can you tell how much ram has been purged? Is there an application that tells you this?

[zed]

The purge command is part of XCode. If you don't have the XCode package, download it here:

http://developer.apple.com/technologies/tools/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for that. I had to adjust my profile to become an Apple Developer in order to download the software. It's a big one... gonna take an hour to download on my fairly fast connection.

How can you tell how much ram has been purged? Is there an application that tells you this?

I'm guessing Utilities > Activity Monitor is your best bet. That's what I will be using when I try it for the first time, and what I use every day to keep track of how much memory DP is using.

If this trick can actually free up memory within DP, this will save me from either crashing or having to quit every time I get up to about 2.4GB, which it always climbs up to fairly quickly.

Now if only I could get up to 4GB (as I am supposed to) it would be like having a whole new Mac...

[amplidood]

I use something called NerdTool to display active data on my desktop, instead of the menu bar (which I also keep hidden). That number on the top left is my free RAM. Whenever that starts getting down in the 500MB range I run the purge command. Always brings something back.

[zed]

Fabulous! It works.

I just installed the bare minimum, the Xcode Toolset and the System Tools and disabled all other items in the custom install. Now the Purge function works in the Terminal, and it did free up both system RAM and DP application RAM.

This is going to be very helpful, and will be used several times a day from now on.

Thanks so much for posting this tip Andy!

...instead of the menu bar (which I also keep hidden).

It just wouldn't feel right without the menu bar, for me. That is like the sign which says "Home Sweet Home".

[donreynolds]

I was using this free app that did the same thing. It is called Ifreemem

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/24279/ifreemem/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It saved my tail when I was having the Magnetic plugin problem

[amplidood]

I was using this free app that did the same thing. It is called Ifreemem

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/24279/ifreemem/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It saved my tail when I was having the Magnetic plugin problem

That app installs some other fishy things (eSellerate related) that I didn't want on my system. Every time I tried to clean that stuff off, it would put it back in. Goodbye!

[donreynolds]

Really?? Do you remember what it put on it? I need to check it out also. I don't want fishy things on my system either.

[dosuna11]

I have the Xtools but still get command not found in Terminal. Where in Xtools is the command?

[amplidood]

I did the full install of the Developer Tools, so I don't really know specifically what it is that gets this command into the system's vocabulary. If you look above you'll see what Zed did, maybe try that.

Don, read up on what I mentioned here:

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/24279/ifreemem/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;