Re: mozilla too many process

[Isaac To <kkto@csis.hku.hk>]

>>>>> "Derrick" == Derrick 'dman' Hudson <dman@dman.ddts.net> writes:

    Derrick> On Tue, Sep 17, 2002 at 06:53:11PM -0400, Seiichiro Tanizaki
    Derrick> wrote: | When I lunch mozilla, it takes about 80M of memory

    Derrick> | with seven processes running.

    Derrick> This last statement isn't true.  It's one process with 7
    Derrick> "kernel" threads.  The linux kernel maps threads onto
    Derrick> lightweight processes.  Your output from 'ps' or 'top' will
    Derrick> make it appear that there are many processes running, but it is
    Derrick> an illusion.

Linux does not distinguish between "kernel threads" and "lightweight
processes".  It doesn't make any distinction between "process" and "threads"
either.  In fact, it doesn't use the word "process" within the kernel.
Instead it use the word "task".  So this statement is also wrong.

Instead, what happens is that all the mozilla tasks are sharing the same
memory, so although it might seems that each of them is taking 54M of swap
and 36M of physical memory, it does not add up.  All of them are sharing the
same memory, so in total, "only" 54M of swap (actually, "Virtual memory")
and 36M of physical memory is used.

BTW, I don't know how the original poster comes up with the magic number
"80".  Even if I adds up 54 and 36 (which is wrong: physical memory is part
of virtual memory), I can only get 90.  And multiplying anything with 7 gets
a number way too large.

Regards,
Isaac.