Comments on: How to Clear RAM Cache, Buffers, and Swap in Linux Without Reboot

By: Ravi Saive

Ravi Saive — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 05:49:44 +0000

In reply to urostor. @Urostor, Thanks for the correction! I’ll use the proper command with 'sudo' and 'tee' to ensure the necessary permissions are applied when modifying cache settings.

By: urostor

urostor — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 07:04:48 +0000

These commands are incorrect. You cannot directly echo to /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches as a regular user. The correct command should be:

sudo sync; echo 1 | sudo tee /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches

This ensures you have the necessary permissions to modify the cache settings.

By: Tony jack

Tony jack — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 19:25:04 +0000

To clear RAM cache, buffer, and swap space on Linux, use the following commands: Clear PageCache:

sync; echo 1 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches

Clear Dentries and Inodes:

sync; echo 2 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches

Clear PageCache, Dentries, and Inodes:

sync; echo 3 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches

Clear Swap Space:

swapoff -a && swapon -a

Always use sync to avoid data loss. These commands help free up system memory without impacting performance.

By: Rich

Rich — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 03:28:03 +0000

In reply to alex. You need to add sudo like so:

sudo sync; echo 1 | sudo tee /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches

By: Ravi Saive

Ravi Saive — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 04:14:27 +0000

In reply to KUSHAGRA JAGER.

@Kushagra,

Exactly. Clearing the cache while programs are running can remove essential files, leading to crashes and data corruption.