System Monitor memory figures don't sync or add up to 8.2 Gb if process swapping

Ask Fedora
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1

I have Fedora 42 on a 8 Gb Lenovo desktop with an 8 Gb swap file on a hard drive.

When Software is downloading updates System Monitor if running next to Software has unsyncing memory figures if any process is swapped out.

I have observed this weekly for several weeks.

The memory figures sometimes add up to 8.7 Gb much more than the 8 Gb installed.

Am thinking of upgrading to Fedora 43 but wonder if there’s a memory problem with Software?

Should I use sudo dnf update –refresh instead how would one use itr to go to F43?

Is there perhaps a hardware memory issue?

2

You have to remember that swap in not only used to page out when more memory is needed … it also has suspended process data and COW pages … so, more swap being used than installed memory is actually quite common when there is a lot of memory/RAM demand.

3

Also recognize that ZRAM when used for swap compressed the swapped data so there may often be much more in swap than it appears.

If you desire to update to f43 then I would suggest that you halt all normal operations so the system is nearly idle then perform the upgrade to f43 using the procedure shown in this fedora doc.