Running a small server...memory troubles...

[Matt G]

Thanks for the comments so far everyone...  There is definately a problem...my system has ground to 
a halt, like it does every day after a few hours.  

I did install x...but it's not running.  I'm willing to bail on RH for a server.  All I want to do 
with it is run sshd, httpd, maybe a mail server if I figure it out...for I could skip that for now. 
 Mandrake then?  Any special way to install it?  

Also...it is silly to install X on this kind of system...  Say I wanted to run an instance of 
vncserver, and then connect up from work...maybe run windowmaker or something small.  Or am I lame 
for wanting to try that?

Matt

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Brian Densmore 
To: Matt G 
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 10:04 AM
Subject: RE: Running a small server...memory troubles...

Well let's se on my pentium (might be as fast as 133MHz) with 48 MB ram and 4GB HD
running an older version of a stripped down and hardened Mandrake. Running http,mail,ssh,etc
is using:
46MB out of 260 total possible usable memory.
apache shouldn't be using 3% of memory for each process.
You shouldn't use RH9 as a server. Did you by chance install X? And is it running?
Something is wrong there.

Brian D.
-----Original Message-----
From: Matt G [mailto:linux at bizniche.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 9:34 AM
To: kclug at kclug.org
Subject: Running a small server...memory troubles...

So...I got that little machine revived (I used a defibrillator to get it started.)  Actually, it's 
running just fine now.  The rough specs are:

AMD K6 233mhz
256mb ram
4gb hdd
RH9 run level 3
Running several services...sshd, httpd, etc.  

I'm pretty new at running a server, that's for sure.

So, I'm watching 'top' to watch my system performance.  The past few days, it's been getting slower 
and slower.  At start up, with ssh connection, I see about 64mb ram used.  It starts creaping 
up...and up...  then I start a sftp transfer (of 180mb) and it shoots up...now there are 252mb ram 
used...only a few free.   Is that normal?   So...I waited for the file to finish transfering...and 
the memory went up to 247mb used...and stayed there.  Does running a server that's not doing 
anything except a few connections take 250mb?  Or perhaps I'm doing something wrong.  

Also, in 'top' I see lots of stuff running, and I'm not sure it should be.  like...I see 8 httpd 
processes...each using 3% of the memory.  5 for mingetty, several for kscand/*.    Am I doing 
something wrong?

Thanks for any help, 
Matt