Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!samsung!sdd.hp.com!hp-pcd!hpcvlx!harry
From: harry@hpcvlx.cv.hp.com (Harry Phinney)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: HP-UX 7.0 X11 use of swap space
Message-ID: <101950143@hpcvlx.cv.hp.com>
Date: 10 Aug 90 19:30:17 GMT
References: <2648@randvax.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Corvallis, OR, USA
Lines: 22

> Ever since I've installed the HP-UX 7.0 X11 on a 9000/370, I've found the
> swap space slowly disappearing if I keep an X running.  After about a
> week, the system becomes unusable until I kill that X process and start
> another.  This didn't happen with HP-UX 6.5.  Is this a known problem, and
> is there a fix?
> Tony Hearn


Hmm, in our testing the 7.0 server generally had lower memory usage and
less leakage than the 6.5 server.  Are you using the same clients in the
same pattern as before?  The nature of Unix malloc() and free() are such
that the memory used by a process employing these mechanisms will never
shrink.  Additionally, we have observed problems wherein the memory pool
of the allocator becomes severely fragmented over time, mostly because
of foolish use of the allocator on the part of the server.  Finally, we
have seen genuine leaks in the server, but I don't off hand know of any
in the 7.0 server (but wouldn't bet against it).  You might want to try
the supported R4 server announced here awhile back.  It should use
somewhat less memory than the 7.0 server, and if you have a 98550A
display card it will be substantially faster.

Harry Phinney   harry@hp-pcd.cv.hp.com