Different #memories in #free #command in #linux

The free command in Linux is a powerful tool for monitoring memory usage on your system. It provides information about various types of memory and their utilization. Here are the different memory types and their descriptions as shown in the free command output:

Total Memory (Mem)

This represents the total amount of physical RAM (Random Access Memory) available on your system.

Used Memory (Mem)

This shows the amount of physical RAM that is currently being used by running processes and the kernel.

Free Memory (Mem)

This indicates the amount of physical RAM that is currently unused and available for use by running processes.

Shared Memory (Mem)

This represents the amount of memory that is being shared between multiple processes.

Buff/Cache (Mem)

This shows the amount of memory used for file buffers and page cache. The kernel uses this memory to cache frequently accessed files, which can improve system performance.

Available Memory (Mem)

This represents the amount of memory that is available for starting new applications or for when existing applications require more memory. It takes into account the free memory, as well as the memory used for buffers and cache, which can be reclaimed if needed.

Swap Total

This shows the total amount of swap space available on your system. Swap space is used by the kernel to temporarily store pages of memory that are not currently being used, freeing up physical RAM for other purposes.

Swap Used

This indicates the amount of swap space that is currently being used.

Swap Free

This represents the amount of swap space that is currently unused and available for use.By understanding the different memory types and their meanings, you can better interpret the output of the free command and gain insights into the memory usage on your Linux system.