[cobalt-users] [Raq 4] Running out of memory

["William J.A. Brillinger" <billy@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Scenario: RaQ 4 with 256mb Ram and ~260mb swap partition

This Machine has suffered (and locked up tight) with a memory error several 
times in the last 3 months. I had 128mb ram in it until about a month ago 
then upgraded to 256.

It dies with these types of errors in /var/log/kernel

Aug 14 16:19:27 secure1 kernel: VM: do_try_to_free_pages failed for 
httpd.admsrv...
Aug 14 16:19:27 secure1 kernel: VM: do_try_to_free_pages failed for 
sawmill.cgi...
Aug 14 16:19:27 secure1 kernel: VM: do_try_to_free_pages failed for httpd...
Aug 14 16:19:27 secure1 kernel: VM: do_try_to_free_pages failed for httpd...
Aug 14 16:19:27 secure1 kernel: VM: do_try_to_free_pages failed for 
.openwebmail-ma...
Aug 14 16:19:27 secure1 kernel: VM: do_try_to_free_pages failed for klogd...
Aug 14 16:19:27 secure1 kernel: VM: do_try_to_free_pages failed for httpd...

Before the memory upgrade it was happening every 1 to 2 weeks for 5 weeks. 
After the upgrade it has gone since July 4th.

Looks like a memory leak to me. But how can I prove that?

I suspect it is my log processing software, sawmill - which runs as a 
webserver all the time. It can be configured to run it's updates from a 
cron job which I think I will implement ASAP

Most of the crashes have happened while sawmill was running, today's did not.

Any tips on knowing/proving which process is eating my machine would be 
welcome :(

I will also bump it up to 512mb of ram this week. What is the recommended 
swap part size? 1:1   ie: 1mb ram to 1mb swap?

Thanks!
- Bill B.




---------------------------------
William J.A. Brillinger
Precision Design Co.

E-Mail:   mailto:billy@xxxxxxxxxx
Web site: http://www.pdcweb.net