[lug] Linux Distr. Size (was: no fun with the sun)

[Jim Buzbee]

Centuries ago Nostradamus foresaw of a time when Michael J. Hammel would write:
...
>
>The X server (specifically AcceleratedX, but XFree86 should be similar)
>reserve blocks of memory to speed screen refreshes (which is one reason
>they appear so big under "top") but free that memory up when necessary.
>
...

Another reason why the X server appears to be so big under "top" is that it can
memory map the ram on the video board into its address space.  So if you have a
16 Meg video card, the XServer may map a good deal of that ram into its space
making it appear as if it is a lot bigger (system ram wise) than it really is.

Jim