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mightymilk Author

Level 1

32 points

Lion - Memory Usage Problems

Why is Lion using all 4GB of RAM running Mail, Safari (2 tabs), and iTunes? Snow Leopard was bad enough at handling memory, eating up every available byte and Lion seems to be arbitrarily using even more RAM. Windows 7 has zero problems handling RAM, there's no reason OS X shouldn't be able handle memory properly.

Can someone explain what Apple is doing here? I'm at a total loss. For users who just need Safari, Mail, and iTunes... I guess this works. But how am I expected to reliably run Logic, Final Cut, or Aperture with OS X using every available resource for Web Surfing, E-mail, and Music. This is totally unacceptable for a multi-million dollar software company greated towards professionals as well as consumers.

The following responses are not acceptable by the way:

Buy more RAM - I did that already, it will eat up 2/4/8GB, doesn't matter. Not to mention Apple still sells numerous 2/4GB confirgurations.
Buy a newer/more powerful Mac - this is a improper handling of memory issue, not a hardware issue.

I'd really love some insight into this. Thanks for reading.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7), 13" (late-2009)

Posted on Jul 21, 2011 5:45 AM

957 replies

mightymilk Author

Level 1

32 points

Aug 18, 2011 8:32 AM in response to Niek Derksen

Niek Derksen wrote:

I'm actually suprised about the Virtual Memory of Flash Player which shows as 16 EB. EB in my eyes can't be anything else than exabyte.

OT: for me the problem is with Safari Web Content which shows extreme values.

If you look at the other Screen Shot though, nothing about Flash Player seems out of the ordinary.

Edit: for slip of the tongue.

Aug 18, 2011 8:33 AM in response to shuckster

I started following this thread from about day one. I have done the following on my MB with 4GB of memory and my overall performance is as good or better than per Lion.

Replaced both Safari and Firefox with Chrome.

Applied the new 10.7.1 update (which has no impact on this issue)

On the Activity monitor front my memory generally reports as it did pre-Lion.

Oh I run the following group of apps almost all time:

Mail

Chrome

Word 2011

Excel 2011

iCal

TweetAdder

I think, like many have already said, that the issue is Safari and the way Lion reports and manages memory.

Anyway I'm a happy camper and good luck to everyone

Aug 18, 2011 8:38 AM in response to mightymilk

Yes I noticed but I just found it strange.

My MBP has 8GB of ram and Safari just eats it all like it's nothing.. for me a restart of Safari or stopping the proces Safari Web Content helps.

mightymilk Author

Level 1

32 points

Aug 18, 2011 9:58 AM in response to Niek Derksen

Niek Derksen wrote:

Yes I noticed but I just found it strange.

My MBP has 8GB of ram and Safari just eats it all like it's nothing.. for me a restart of Safari or stopping the proces Safari Web Content helps.

Yea, this has been a memory management issue from day one. Even a guy with 12GB of RAM, was having issues with all Free RAM being engulfed under Lion.

Aug 18, 2011 10:31 AM in response to stamatgeorge

A new user acc is helpful aslo. It resets all files.

mightymilk Author

Level 1

32 points

Aug 19, 2011 8:06 AM in response to michaelmckeever9

michaelmckeever9 wrote:

A new user acc is helpful aslo. It resets all files.

Never thought about that. Not insterested in reinstalling my software, because I have a lot of it packed away in storage right now. You're saying it gives you a psedo clean install in a way? I'd just have to move my old Pictures, Video, and Music over. Not worried about Prefernces being retained, I can reset those later.

mightymilk Author

Level 1

32 points

Aug 19, 2011 8:11 AM in response to Niek Derksen

Niek Derksen wrote:

Yes I noticed but I just found it strange.

My MBP has 8GB of ram and Safari just eats it all like it's nothing.. for me a restart of Safari or stopping the proces Safari Web Content helps.

I'm running Firefox 7b for the time being. I typically have about 5 tabs open, and memory usage is solid around 350MB with no adverse effects to performance. Normally, I only use Firefox for ultra secure browsing... but I've made it my main browser until these Safari issues are addressed. The only downside is no offical Full Screen support yet, and if you use their full screen mode... it takes over the Desktop until you exit that mode.

Aug 19, 2011 8:18 AM in response to mightymilk

The really great point about trying a new user account is the fact that it allows you to divide the original problem into two parts, user and system.

If the problem is gone in the new account then the problem is in the old account.

If on the other hand the problem exists in the new account then the problem is in the system.

Hence this trick helps to get you looking in the correct direction for the solution to the problem.

Allan

mightymilk Author

Level 1

32 points

Aug 19, 2011 8:35 AM in response to Allan Eckert

Allan Eckert wrote:

The really great point about trying a new user account is the fact that it allows you to divide the original problem into two parts, user and system.

If the problem is gone in the new account then the problem is in the old account.

If on the other hand the problem exists in the new account then the problem is in the system.

Hence this trick helps to get you looking in the correct direction for the solution to the problem.

Allan

I don't understand the folder structure completely under OS X like I do in Windows. Are we talking about the difference between the System Folder under the root drive and the User Library Folder essentially? I realize this is probably a simplistic way of putting it, but I'm just trying to see if I understand the overall idea of where the problem may exist.

Aug 19, 2011 8:46 AM in response to mightymilk

mightymilk wrote:

Never thought about that. Not insterested in reinstalling my software, because I have a lot of it packed away in storage right now. You're saying it gives you a psedo clean install in a way? I'd just have to move my old Pictures, Video, and Music over. Not worried about Prefernces being retained, I can reset those later.

You achieve exactly the same result moving/deleting your Library folder. To move the Library folder is faster if you use Terminal. Just type:

mv ~/Library ~/Desktop

where ~ is your home directory and reboot. A logout should be sufficient, but better be safe than sorry. Beware that all your personal Preference Panels will be gone in either case. So the Safari extensions and all that kind of little stuff. Apart from that it is a safe procedure.

urabus

Level 1

14 points

Aug 19, 2011 9:00 AM in response to Michelasso

That's pretty cool. I have two questions:

- Is my keychain in said folder? and;

- Is it possible to put your old folder back and re-boot if you'd like your old setup back?

mightymilk Author

Level 1

32 points

Aug 19, 2011 9:04 AM in response to Michelasso

Michelasso wrote:

mightymilk wrote:

Never thought about that. Not insterested in reinstalling my software, because I have a lot of it packed away in storage right now. You're saying it gives you a psedo clean install in a way? I'd just have to move my old Pictures, Video, and Music over. Not worried about Prefernces being retained, I can reset those later.

You achieve exactly the same result moving/deleting your Library folder. To move the Library folder is faster if you use Terminal. Just type:

mv ~/Library ~/Desktop

where ~ is your home directory and reboot. A logout should be sufficient, but better be safe than sorry. Beware that all your personal Preference Panels will be gone in either case. So the Safari extensions and all that kind of little stuff. Apart from that it is a safe procedure.

I'm getting a Permission Denied when trying to do this. Do I need another command from the Terminal, I'm the only User/Admin on this computer.

Aug 19, 2011 9:09 AM in response to mightymilk

mightymilk wrote:

I don't understand the folder structure completely under OS X like I do in Windows. Are we talking about the difference between the System Folder under the root drive and the User Library Folder essentially? I realize this is probably a simplistic way of putting it, but I'm just trying to see if I understand the overall idea of where the problem may exist.

When, simplifying a lot there are 3 levels Libraries:

2. ~/Library: The user library. All your settings, preference panels, browser extensions, history, etc. etc. are stored there

1. /Library: The library for applications

0. /System/Library: The operative system library

One can mess up the first one without much damage. In the worst case one just needs to boot in single user and from the root prompt delete it. So as I wrote in my previous post it would be just like having created a new user account still keeping all documents.

To touch the other 2 is obviously strongly not suggested unless one really knows what s/he is doing.

mightymilk Author

Level 1

32 points

Aug 19, 2011 9:13 AM in response to Michelasso

Michelasso wrote:

mightymilk wrote:

I don't understand the folder structure completely under OS X like I do in Windows. Are we talking about the difference between the System Folder under the root drive and the User Library Folder essentially? I realize this is probably a simplistic way of putting it, but I'm just trying to see if I understand the overall idea of where the problem may exist.

When, simplifying a lot there are 3 levels Libraries:

2. ~/Library: The user library. All your settings, preference panels, browser extensions, history, etc. etc. are stored there

1. /Library: The library for applications

0. /System/Library: The operative system library

One can mess up the first one without much damage. In the worst case one just needs to boot in single user and from the root prompt delete it. So as I wrote in my previous post it would be just like having created a new user account still keeping all documents.

To touch the other 2 is obviously strongly not suggested unless one really knows what s/he is doing.

Thanks that clears it up. I assumed the System Library was strictly OS X. But I wasn't sure which items were stored in the User Library vs. the Root Library.

Aug 19, 2011 9:18 AM in response to mightymilk

mightymilk wrote:

I'm getting a Permission Denied when trying to do this. Do I need another command from the Terminal, I'm the only User/Admin on this computer.

Oh, all right. I still have to figure out how the file permissions really work on OS X. Type

sudo mv ~/Library ~/Desktop

You will be prompted for the administrator (your in this case) password. That will execute the command as super user. I just tested the command in my system, it worked fine. Well, I obviously restored it back immediately after since my system is working fine. 😉

Lion - Memory Usage Problems