Running processes

[radtek]

What is a normal number of running processes?

I'm showing anywhere from 99 to 122. This seems excessive to me.

How does one know which processes are essential, and is it safe to kill some or prevent their starting?

[podunk]

Re: Running processes

I'm almost always around 150. I have quite a few programs in the systray always open. I almost always have at least 10 apps open on my desktops.

Run the command

top

and unless I'm doing something like a video or ripping a CD my memory usage stays around 15% and CPU runs between 2 around 10%

The command

free -m

Shows you how your memory is being used. Unless you have a high number in the "swap" portion of the display it means memory is being used correctly.

Linux is insanely efficient. Are you having any big lag times or anything like that?

[radtek]

Re: Running processes

Sorry it took me a while to get back.

I tried the two commands- though I usually use ksysguard. I'll use them though since it is easier.

What concerns me is when I get cpu intensive -as in video encoding- the system begins to use the swap file. Afterwards it doesn't release the swap and continues to use it even though I have free ram.