[ale] memory requirements

[Steve Litt]

On Fri, 25 Mar 2016 18:22:43 -0400
DJ-Pfulio <djpfulio at jdpfu.com> wrote:

> 2GB isn't enough for modern systems.  I had lockups with 2G of RAM
> and 2G swap. Had to double swap to 4G to prevent memory suckage.
> Plus, I wasn't running **any** DE, just openbox.

My mileage varies. One of my laptops runs just fine with 3GB RAM, using
Void Linux and LXDE. I've installed Void on 2GB systems and had it
work. A few weeks ago I did a demonstration installation on 128MB using
Void. The graphical install wouldn't fit, but using the CLI install I
was able to get a working CLI system, then install X and LXDE and have
a system on which I could have one very simple Firefox site open. It
was useless as a production computer, but it worked.

I added another RAMstick to make it 256MB, and it worked fairly well,
although it still wouldn't play Youtube videos.

One distinction between us is I don't consider having a few intermittent
lockups as a complete dysfunction. They very well might be caused
mostly by one piece of software. Firefox is one possibility. On Void
Linux, supposedly lightweight Xombrero is a glitchy, ravenous
superpig, so that's another.

[snip servers and java and chromebook]

> 
> If you do Linux virtualization, 2G isn't enough to begin.  4G is
> enough for 2 small server VMs that will run well and the hostOS won't
> suck too.

I have 16GB on my desktop box just so I can do plenty of VMs. My Ubuntu
14.04LTS VM has now incorporated itself into my business, because the
LyX/LaTeX that ships with Void Linux is incapable of compiling my
books, so I do them on the VM.

Which brings up the point: If I used VMs just to dinker around, perhaps
4GB would be enough. But if one really needs to use VMs to produce
something, and perhaps experiment with how much RAM they need, my
minimum host RAM would be 8GB.

SteveT

Steve Litt 
March 2016 featured book: Quit Joblessness: Start Your Own Business
http://www.troubleshooters.com/startbiz