What is the purpose of /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches in Red Hat Enterprise Linux?

Solution Verified - Updated -

Issue

  • What's the purpose of /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches in Red Hat Enterprise Linux?
  • How to release cache memory using /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches?
  • New process cannot be started due to insufficient free memory, how to free additional memory?
  • Inactive memory not being released, how to free memory?

Environment

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Subscriber exclusive content

A Red Hat subscription provides unlimited access to our knowledgebase, tools, and much more.

Current Customers and Partners

Log in for full access

Log In

New to Red Hat?

Learn more about Red Hat subscriptions

Using a Red Hat product through a public cloud?

How to access this content