Linux is an operating system that manages memory very well and that’s why the cache exists. Every time we open a file or directory they are temporarily stored in the main memory to make them accessible and speed up the system. However, there are situations in which it is required to clean the cache to free more space in it.

So it can be done from the terminal without any problem. Let’s see.

Clear cache on any Linux distribution

The first thing to know is that in Linux there are several types of cache.

On the one hand, there is the PageCache that refers to files and programs that are stored in RAM and do not need to be reloaded from the hard disk.

On the other hand, there is Dentry and inode cache which are the attributes of these files.

So let’s get to the point.

First, execute the free command with the -h argument so that you notice how the RAM is being used.

free -h

In my case the screen output gives the following data:

total used free shared buff/cache available
Mem: 3,7G 2,2G 145M 242M 1,3G 934M
Swap: 964M 11M 953M

As you can see my computer has little RAM and the cache takes a good part.

If you want to clean it up, just execute the following command:

sudo sysctl vm.drop_caches=3

This command will remove all the cache, but you can also just remove the PageCache, by running

sudo sysctl vm.drop_caches=1

Or just the inodes:

sudo sysctl vm.drop_caches=2

In any case, if you execute the free command again you will be able to notice the results.

free -h

So, congratulations, you completed the tutorial and you know how to clear cache on Linux.

Conclusion

Generally, you will probably never feel the need to go through this process, but it is good to know so that you can use it when necessary.

Finally, remember that cleaning the cache can slow down the system at first, but it can be used in specific cases.

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The post How to clear cache on any distribution Linux? appeared first on Linux Windows and android Tutorials.

One of the many benefits of using Squid, in addition to the obvious security benefits, is content caching. The cache increases network performance for fetching clients and lowers internet bandwidth.

Firefox web browser also includes its own built-in cache. Two of them, actually! It has a memory cache and a disk cache. You can view the contents of the cache by entering the following into your navigation bar:

about:cache

From here you can also update the cache or view the details of a specific cached item.

The Firefox web browser cache is designed to increase performance. However, when you have caching being performed by Squid, then using the web browser cache is effectively a duplication of services. When the Firefox disk cache and Squid are both actively caching I often found that connections would hang, become unstable or even become non-responsive. This was the result of the Firefox disk cache conflicting with the Squid cache – two caches trying to do the same task.

While choosing one cache over another might not technically be a ‘better’ option, I have found it’s better to leave the task of caching to Squid as it is a dedicated server designated for one specific role. This frees up Firefox resources to concentrate on rendering content rather than juggling finite resources for multiple tasks inside the browser.

There is also an added security benefit to disabling the Firefox disk cache. When enabled, malicious web content can reside inside the cache. Where memory cache is non-persistent and cleared on Firefox close, the disk cache is persistent and if there is malicious content present, it will get reloaded every time Firefox is booted or until you clear the cache entirely.

It’s best to leave the Firefox memory cache enabled to maintain Firefox web browser performance, as the memory cache poses less threat of cache conflict with Squid to that of the disk cache. To disable the disk cache enter the following into your navigation bar:

about:config

Press ENTER to confirm the warning dialog. Now, search for the configuration string:

browser.cache.disk.enable

Set the value to “false“.

Your disk cache is now disabled. We can verify the change by revisiting the about:cache page.

Most of the caching is now be performed by the Squid proxy server, complemented by the Firefox memory cache.

The post Disable Firefox Web Browser Disk Cache When Using Squid Proxy Server appeared first on Linux Windows and android Tutorials.