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diff --git a/doc/kinfocenter/memory/index.docbook b/doc/kinfocenter/memory/index.docbook new file mode 100644 index 000000000..19d10fc57 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/kinfocenter/memory/index.docbook @@ -0,0 +1,108 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" ?> +<!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//KDE//DTD DocBook XML V4.2-Based Variant V1.1//EN" +"dtd/kdex.dtd" [ +<!ENTITY % addindex "IGNORE"> +<!ENTITY % English "INCLUDE" > <!-- change language only here --> +]> + +<article lang="&language;"> +<title>Memory Information</title> +<articleinfo> + +<authorgroup> +<author>&Mike.McBride;</author> + +<!-- TRANS:ROLES_OF_TRANSLATORS --> + +</authorgroup> + +<date>2002-02-13</date> +<releaseinfo>3.00.00</releaseinfo> + +<keywordset> +<keyword>KDE</keyword> +<keyword>KControl</keyword> +<keyword>memory</keyword> +<keyword>system information</keyword> +</keywordset> +</articleinfo> + +<sect1> +<title>Memory Information</title> + +<para>This module displays the current memory usage. It is updated +constantly, and can be very useful for pinpointing bottlenecks when certain +applications are executed.</para> + +<sect2 id="memory-intro"> +<title>Memory Types</title> + +<para>The first thing you must understand, is there are two types of +<quote>memory</quote>, available to the operating system and the programs +that run within it.</para> + +<para>The first type, is called physical memory. This is the memory located +within the memory chips, within your computer. This is the +<acronym>RAM</acronym> (for Random Access Memory) you bought when you +purchased your computer.</para> + +<para>The second type of memory, is called virtual or swap memory. This +block of memory, is actually space on the hard drive. The operating +system reserves a space on the hard drive for <quote>swap space</quote>. +The operating system can use this virtual memory (or swap space), if it +runs out of physical memory. The reason this is called +<quote>swap</quote> memory, is the operating system takes some data that +it doesn't think you will want for a while, and saves that to disk in +this reserved space. The operating system then loads the new data you +need right now. It has <quote>swapped</quote> the not needed data, for +the data you need right now. Virtual or swap memory is not as fast as +physical memory, so operating systems try to keep data (especially often +used data), in the physical memory.</para> + +<para>The total memory, is the combined total of physical memory and +virtual memory.</para> + +</sect2> + +<sect2 id="memory-use"> +<title>Memory Information Module</title> + +<para>This window is divided into a top and bottom section</para> + +<para>The top section shows you the total physical memory, total free + physical memory, shared memory, and buffered memory.</para> + +<para>All four values are represented as the total number of bytes, and + as the number of megabytes (1 megabyte = slightly more than 1,000,000 + bytes)</para> + +<para>The bottom section shows you three graphs: </para> + +<itemizedlist> +<listitem><para><guilabel>Total Memory</guilabel> (this is the combination of physical and virtual memory).</para></listitem> +<listitem><para><guilabel>Physical Memory</guilabel></para></listitem> +<listitem><para>Virtual memory, or <guilabel>Swap Space</guilabel>.</para></listitem> +</itemizedlist> + +<para>The green areas are free, and the red areas are used.</para> + +<tip><para>The exact values of each type of memory are not critical, and + they change regularly. When you evaluate this page, look at + trends.</para> + +<para>Does your computer have plenty of free space (green areas)? If + not, you can increase the swap size or increase the physical + memory.</para> + +<para>Also, if your computer seems sluggish: is your physical memory + full, and does the hard drive always seem to be running? This suggests + that you do not have enough physical memory, and your computer is + relying on the slower virtual memory for commonly used data. Increasing + your physical memory will improve the responsiveness of your + computer.</para></tip> + +</sect2> + +</sect1> + +</article> |