ENOMEM - Out of memory | LinuxFix.dev

Solutions

Prerequisites: Start by updating your system to resolve common issues and ensure the solutions provided below are compatible with your current environment.

check_latest_version && sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Check memory usage

Monitor current memory consumption:

free -h

ps aux --sort=-%mem | head

cat /proc/meminfo

Free up memory

Release unused memory:

sudo sync && sudo sysctl vm.drop_caches=3

sudo swapoff -a && sudo swapon -a

kill -9 high_memory_process_pid

Add swap space

Create additional virtual memory:

sudo fallocate -l 2G /swapfile

sudo chmod 600 /swapfile

sudo mkswap /swapfile

sudo swapon /swapfile

What is ENOMEM?

ENOMEM occurs when the system runs out of available memory to complete an operation.

Common scenarios: Large memory allocations, memory leaks, insufficient RAM, or swap space exhaustion.

Common Causes

Insufficient physical memory
Memory leaks in applications
Large memory allocations
Swap space full or disabled
Memory fragmentation

Debugging Tips

dmesg | grep -i "out of memory"

cat /proc/sys/vm/overcommit_memory

swapon --show

top -o %MEM

Prevention

Monitor memory usage regularly
Configure adequate swap space
Fix memory leaks in applications
Set memory limits for processes

Additional Resources

Linux Memory Management

Understanding Linux memory subsystem