Clean Up Your RAM & Swap on Ubuntu/Pop!_OS: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re finding your Ubuntu or Pop!_OS system dragging, sometimes clearing out RAM caches and swap can give you a little boost. In this guide, we’ll walk through both command-line and GUI methods to free up memory and swap space. Let’s break it down in plain terms.

Command-Line Methods

1. Clear RAM Cache (Drop Caches)

Linux automatically caches data in RAM to speed things up. If you really need to clear it (not usually necessary), use this command:

sudo sh -c "sync; echo 3 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches"

What it does:

• sync: Flushes file system buffers.
• echo 3 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches: Clears page cache, dentries, and inodes.

Use it with caution,Linux is pretty good at managing memory on its own.

2. Clear Swap Memory

If your system is swapping too much, you can reset it by turning swap off and then back on:

sudo swapoff -a && sudo swapon -a

• Explanation:

• swapoff -a: Disables all swap devices.

• swapon -a: Re-enables them, clearing the swap in the process.

• Turning swap back-On is not guaranteed.

• A simple restart will fix the swap off issue.

3. Adjust Swappiness to Reduce Swap Usage

By default, Linux starts swapping at a swappiness value of 60. Lowering it means your system will prefer using RAM. For example, to set it to 10:

sudo sysctl vm.swappiness=10

To make this permanent:

echo "vm.swappiness=10" | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf
sudo sysctl -p

4. Kill High-Memory Processes

Sometimes, the simplest fix is to kill a process that’s hogging memory. Use:

top

Press M to sort by memory usage, note the PID, and then kill it:

sudo kill -9 PID

Or, for a friendlier interface, install and use htop:

sudo apt install htop -y
htop

Navigate with your arrow keys and hit F9 to kill the misbehaving process.

GUI Methods

If you’re not a fan of the terminal, these GUI apps can help you manage memory and swap easily.

1. Stacer

Stacer is a system optimizer that lets you clean your memory with just one click.

Installation:

sudo apt install stacer -y

Usage: Open Stacer, go to the “System Cleaner” section, then select “Memory” to clear caches.

2. BleachBit

BleachBit isn’t just for cleaning up disk space,it can also free up memory.

Installation:

sudo apt install bleachbit -y

Usage: Launch BleachBit and use the “Free Memory” option to clear RAM.

3. Gnome System Monitor

This tool shows you real-time resource usage and lets you kill any process directly.

Installation (if needed):

sudo apt install gnome-system-monitor -y

Usage: Open Gnome System Monitor, check the Processes tab, and end any heavy processes.

4. LXTask

For a lighter option, LXTask provides a simple overview of running processes and memory usage.

Installation:

sudo apt install lxtask -y

Usage: Launch LXTask to spot and stop memory-heavy apps.

Final Thoughts

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all fix. If you like quick command-line solutions, try clearing caches and adjusting swappiness. If you prefer a visual approach, tools like Stacer and BleachBit offer a straightforward way to keep your system lean.

Keeping your system in check is a continuous process,choose the method that fits your workflow best, and remember that sometimes Linux just needs a little nudge.

Hope this helps, boss! Let me know if you need any more tweaks or details.

-- Mohammad