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I recently installed Debian 6.0.6. Here are the machine's states:

  • CPU - AMD XP 3000+
  • RAM - 1 Gig
  • HDD - IDE 80 Gig

I primarily use this machine for developing toy personal projects. When I run NetBeans, I sometimes get a low memory error. Running top shows that, sure enough, RAM is at almost 100% usage. However, swap space usage is at 0. Does this mean that the swap partition that I created during installation is not enabled. I assumed that after creating the swap partition the installation process would automatically enable it. What do I need to do to enable swapping?

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Is your swap partition listed in your /etc/fstab ? Also, what does swapon -s return ? – don_crissti Oct 20 '12 at 18:23
@don_crissti I'm not on that machine ATM, so I'll get back to you on those questions when I have a chance to check. I do recall that top showed the amount of swap space available as expected. – Code-Guru Oct 20 '12 at 18:36
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@Code-Guru The java JVM has a maximum heap space size, which could be what you are actually hitting. -Xms and -Xmx settings adjust this. – jordanm Oct 21 '12 at 1:48
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@jordanm I would say - right on mark. Make it an answer (and explain the differences between java and os memory)... – Nils Oct 21 '12 at 20:11
@jordanm I wondered if I might be running into Java-related memory issues. I found this FAQ explaining how to set the heap size in NetBeans. I'll have to try it out later. And feel free to add an answer with more details. You'll certainly get at least an upvote from me, and most likely I'll accept as well. – Code-Guru Oct 21 '12 at 23:26
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