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SoCoder -> Blogs Home -> Blogs

 
HoboBen
Created : 18 June 2007
 

Firefox trim_on_minimize edit
I came across this tip - if you go to about:config (type in in your URL bar) in Firefox, and add a Boolean key called "config.trim_on_minimize" as TRUE, Firefox will use a behaviour where when you minimize it, all the information it has held in RAM is dumped to your hard drive instead of being held there like a giant fat thing. (Restart Firefox to get the settings to apply)

I wasn't expecting it to make much of a difference - but I opened Firefox while keeping an eye on the RAM. It started with a bit of 41MB of RAM, and a I minimised it.

I couldn't believe it when it shot down to just 4MB. Jeezus!

Additionally, it uses less RAM than it started with when you maximise it again. I've got two tabs, one of them SoCoder, and I'm at 28MB of RAM, which is amazing. It does slowly grow back to the original 41MB, but only gradually.

This really will help when I'm doing something resource intensive, but want a web browser open for reference - previously, I'd been using Opera to keep the RAM footprint down (after a long browsing session with 50+ tabs, Firefox can eat up to 180MB of RAM)

The only thing is, once it's minimised, it does start growing by 1MB of RAM every minute or so though - maybe a memory leak that fixes once you re-maximise, or some necessary and controlled way of keeping track of the data. Either way though, as long as you maximise once every half hour, your still doing amazing for RAM.

Well, I thought it was cool!

 

Comments
Wednesday, 20 June 2007, 14:26
Stealth
 		I can't find that in my configuration anywhere..


But this is kinda cool. Go here in firefox:
chrome://mozapps/content/extensions/extensions.xul
Wednesday, 20 June 2007, 15:16
HoboBen
 		You have to add the key using right click > New > Boolean

The chrome tricks are as fun as they are pointless!
Wednesday, 20 June 2007, 17:42
Stealth
 		Ah I see.

Wasn't paying attention too well. Ha.

|edit| That is a pretty nice trick.. Works good on my computer since I do not have a whole lot of RAM.