After installing Rocky9 kde, it takes up 2GB of memory, while Debian11 kde only takes up 600M of memory.
I don’t know why there’s so much difference
Yes, I have noticed that too. Also with Gnome desktop. If in Debian it uses 650 mb, Rocky Linux uses twice as much - 1.3 gb. I don’t know if it’s good or not, but I don’t think it’s good.
So what does “top” say. On my system running Fedora37 Mate for example, it shows that used memory is 630mB and buffered is 1.5GB. So 2GB in total, but 1.5 of that is just registered for quicker application loading.
Unfortunately I can’t upload the 31 KB screenshot.
I noticed this. It reserves a lot of memory for caching. But one server has 256GB of memory. Another 4G memory. They reserve almost equal amounts of memory. I think this is abnormal.
I booted up my test bed computer that has Debian11, Arch and Fedora36 installed. This laptop has 2GB of memory. I booted Debian and then Fedora to see what each allocated both using the Mate Desktop.
For Debian 364MB was used and 384MB was buffered.
For Fedora 452MB was used and 576MB was buffered.
It does indicate a difference in philosophy regarding memory allocation but I don’t see what is abnormal. Buffered memory is still free, it is just pre-addressed so that applications or services will load faster when called.
I bet those with real knowledge of the memory allocation internals could debate for hours as to which approach is more advantageous.
Have you installed the KDE desktop. I am using the KDE desktop.
My desktop uses 4.6GB of memory. So more than yours. I don’t see what the problem is? Just because one system uses more than the other, compare the amount of processes running on the system. Rocky has sssd* packages installed by default, Debian doesn’t. That can explain some increase in memory usage as well.
Then once you have compared what processes are running, then it’s easier to get an explanation, and then disable/remove if you don’t want them.
Install a Debian minimal system, it will use 512-1GB ram. Install Alpine Linux as a minimal, it would use 50mb ram. Can’t compare it. Same with comparing Rocky and Debian, two different systems, two different installations of different packages.
No I don’t use KDE. But, if you want to limit the discussion to KDE specifics then I think you need to establish a more clear baseline. Please note that over time as your applications use memory space, when you close those applications the kernel will retain that additional memory space in it’s buffer cache in anticipation of that space being rapidly needed again. So if you are going to compare a Debian workstation verses a Rocky workstation you need to make these comparisons soon after startup for each.
Sounds like a memory leak to me.