How to Clean Up Memory on Your Mac Running OS X 10.6

Are you tired of running out of memory on your Mac running OS X 10.6? Do you find yourself frequently hitting a memory ceiling and struggling with slow performance? If so, you're not alone. Fortunately, there's an easy way to free up memory on your Mac without having to restart the machine.

One of the most effective ways to clean up memory on your Mac is by using the `purge` command. This command forces disk and memory caches to be emptied, effectively giving your Mac a 'cold disk buffer cache' similar to the state of the operating system after a reboot. To use this command, you'll need to open a terminal and enter the following: `sudo purge`

If you're not familiar with VIM commands, don't worry - Google 'VIM commands' for a quick tutorial. Once you've entered the command, it will open up the crontab in an editor (likely Vim). If you're new to this, don't worry - it's easy to use.

For most people, their initial crontab will be empty. The `sudo purge` command tells the system to edit the root user's crontab, which is a list of scheduled tasks. By running this command, you'll be able to schedule the `purge` command to run on a regular basis, freeing up memory without having to manually restart your Mac.

Note that you may need to have XCode & Developer Tools installed in order to use the `purge` command. You can download these for free from the Mac App Store.

For those who want to automate the running of purge, simply open a terminal and enter: `sudo crontab -e`. This will allow you to schedule the command to run at specific intervals.

By using the `purge` command, you'll be able to maintain currently active applications while still freeing up memory. This can dramatically improve overall system performance and is especially helpful for power users and those with heavy memory demands.

To see the results of running the `purge` command, open Activity Monitor and check the 'Free', 'Used', and 'Inactive' meters under System Memory. You'll likely notice dramatic changes in these areas after running the command.

Note that some versions of OS X may not require you to prefix the `purge` command with `sudo`, so be sure to check your system's requirements before running the command. Additionally, running with `sudo` will require authentication.

In conclusion, using the `purge` command is an easy and effective way to free up memory on your Mac running OS X 10.6 without having to restart the machine. By following these simple steps, you can improve overall system performance and keep your Mac running smoothly for years to come.

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