When I close an application such as Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Chromium on Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS which has been installed on a new Dell XPS 13 DX13260, there seems to be residual memory/RAM being held by the closed application. I have tried to logout and log back in but that method doesn’t release the memory. I assume the memory being held cannot be the hardware since the laptop is brand new. Could the issue be the underlying kernel 7.0 that hasn’t been optimized for this newly released Dell laptop or ???
You need to show at least three values - before the application is started, when the application is running and after application was stopped. Otherwise there is nothing to compare. And you should verify that the application was really stopped and its processes disappeared.
This complaint about Linux using too much RAM is so old and well-known that there is a website dedicated to it: https://www.linuxatemyram.com/ .
The gist of it is that Linux considers empty RAM to be a waste of money and energy and aggressively uses it for caching everything ever opened. That memory can quickly be freed when needed, but until it is it will be considered ‘in use’.
I totally agree about the 3x “RAM values” where there should be a 1) a before value, 2) a current value & 3) an after value. The before is 2.4MB. The current value when the applications is open is around 4.7MB and the after value is 3.6MB. So, when the application is closed or “killed process”, 1.2MB still has not been released.
Linux or Ubuntu LTS releases are actually much more efficient at utilizing memory/RAM on previous Dell XPS 13 systems I have owned than Microsoft Windows. But for some strange reason, this particular laptop hardware does not operate accordingly compared to my past experience. I know Ubuntu 26.04 LTS functions nominally on the Dell XPS 13 9340 where the DX13260 is replacing. Memory/RAM is released by the application is just fine so it’s all good. However, there is something peculiar about the DX13260. Maybe because the laptop is new, I don’t know.
The memory that “can be easily freed” is shown as buf/cache and is counted already as available. The used memory cannot be “easily freed”, otherwise it were not “used”.
@exhile What happens when you now again start and stop the same application? Does used memory continue to grow? Try several times capturing free output every time.
Linux in memory caching is real as other have posted as well as browser sometimes cache a few processes in memory for faster startup times when re-opening the browser. Both occurrences result in slightly higher RAM usage after closing the browser (Chrome, Edge; etc.) but is harmless. The RAM will be reclaimed if needed by any active processes/apps so there’s really nothing to worry about concerning your browser RAM usage. Still, good attention to detail.
I conducted the process that you have instructed and the memory does not increase when I “start & stop the application” at least 3-4 times. So therefore the reasoning by @TheRaven does hold true.
Yeah, I forgot about the operating system caching some parts of the application in memory for quicker retrieval if the application is re-opened. However, the cached application held in memory is unusually high compared to my experience with other Dell XPS 13 systems. Nevertheless, “it is what it is”.
