4GB Memory

[notinheritable]

I recently installed ubuntu 9 on my notebook (Lenovo T500).
Really enjoying the new experience.

I have 4GB of memory on my machine, windows only 'saw' 3GB but it seems like Ubuntu only 'sees'
2.4GB. How can that be? I go to System/Administration/System Monitor, on the first tab 'System' under the Hardware section it reads the following -: Memory: 2.4GiB.

[GNU-Fan]

Maybe this helps:
Ubuntu 4GB Ram Limitation and Solution

[notinheritable]

Yes, thanks for the link, but the article talks about a 4GB limitation. I don't really want
Ubuntu to see more than 4GB as that is what I have on my machine. I just want Ubuntu to recognise the full 4GB instead of only 2.4GB. Could it maybe be a setting in the bios or is this just a limitation of Ubuntu, does it only see 2.4GB ram, no matter how much ram you have?

[coopstah13]

What? The article details how to enable 4gb or more memory, it tells you exactly what your two options to remedy your problem are.

[notinheritable]

What? The article details how to enable 4gb or more memory, it tells you exactly what your two options to remedy your problem are.

Ok, so the 2 options are:
1. Install the 64 bit version.
-Does the 32bit version not see more than 2.4GB?
2. Install a PAE enabled kernel.
-Does one always have to do this with every ubuntu desktop install
to be able to see more than 2.4GB?, shouldn't then the kernel in Ubuntu
be PAE enabled from the start, in this way Ubuntu could then see more than
2.4GB and I wouldn't have to do this.

[coopstah13]

PAE has overhead that isn't optimal for all users, since not all users running the 32 bit OS have enough memory to merit this. It is recommended for users with that much memory to run the 64-bit OS.

The only reason to not use the 64-bit OS is usually that there is no 64-bit equivalent for a necessary application. Some 32 bit apps will run on a 64 bit OS though. PAE is mostly used by servers, hence why the ubuntu server kernel has it enabled.

[oz]

Welcome to the forums!

If your machine is 64-bit capable, I'd highly recommend installing a 64-bit version of Linux. I've been running it for over a year now, and no problems to report, at all.

[notinheritable]

Welcome to the forums!

If your machine is 64-bit capable, I'd highly recommend installing a 64-bit version of Linux. I've been running it for over a year now, and no problems to report, at all.

Thanks guys, this is all very new to me. I enabled the PAE on the kernel and now it sees the full 4GB of memory, but it seems as if my notebook has slowed down considerably, I notice this when I open applications, I think it's more a graphics thing.

How do I know if my system is 64bit capable?
I have an Intel core 2 duo 2.66GHz processor.
I think it would be really cool to install the 64bit version and see what happens, if I can that is.

[oz]

All the Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs are 64-bit capable:

Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor - Specifications

[notinheritable]

All the Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs are 64-bit capable:

LOL...(Laughing at myself for being such a newbie).

Thanks for your time Ozar.