{"id":4862,"date":"2023-01-31T03:52:02","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T03:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/?p=4862"},"modified":"2023-08-30T09:59:24","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T09:59:24","slug":"free-command-in-linux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples]"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The <strong>free<\/strong>\u00a0command in <strong>Linux<\/strong>\u00a0is a handy tool for <strong>system administrators<\/strong>\u00a0and other users as well. It provides valuable information about the <strong>available<\/strong>\u00a0and <strong>used memory<\/strong>\u00a0in the <strong>system<\/strong>. In this article, I will describe the <strong>free<\/strong>\u00a0command in <strong>Linux<\/strong>\u00a0and its various options, with practical examples\u00a0that demonstrate its usage.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#A_Description\" >A.\u00a0Description<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#B_Syntax\" >B.\u00a0Syntax<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#C_Options\" >C.\u00a0Options<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#Practical_Examples_of_the_%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D_Command_in_Linux\" >Practical Examples of the \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#Example_1_Output_Memory_Usage_in_Human_Readable_Format\" >Example 1: Output Memory Usage in Human Readable Format<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#Example_2_Continuously_Show_Memory_Usage_After_a_Specific_Time\" >Example 2: Continuously Show Memory Usage After a Specific Time<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#Example_3_Specify_Output_Units_of_%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D_Command_in_Linux\" >Example 3: Specify Output Units of \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#Example_4_Print_Output_Memory_Details_Multiple_Times_Using_the_%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D_Command_in_Linux\" >Example 4: Print Output Memory Details Multiple Times Using the \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#Example_5_Separate_Buff_and_Cache_Columns_Using_the_%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D_Command_in_Linux\" >Example 5: Separate Buff and Cache Columns Using the \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#Example_6_Displaying_the_Total_Memory_Column_Using_the_%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D_Command_in_Linux\" >Example 6: Displaying the Total Memory Column Using the \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#Example_7_Get_Help_About_the_%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D_Command_in_Linux\" >Example 7: Get Help About the \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#Example_8_Get_the_Version_of_the_%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D_Command_in_Linux\" >Example 8: Get the Version of the \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Description\"><\/span>A.\u00a0Description<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The<strong>\u00a0free<\/strong>\u00a0command in<strong>\u00a0Linux<\/strong>\u00a0is a useful tool that outputs\u00a0the summary\u00a0of <strong>RAM<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>availability<\/strong>\u00a0and<strong>\u00a0usage<\/strong>, including the amount of <strong>physical memory<\/strong>, <strong>swap memory<\/strong>, and<strong>\u00a0buffers<\/strong>. The command facilitates the monitoring of resource utilization and enables administrators to assess if sufficient space is available to run additional applications.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"B_Syntax\"><\/span>B.\u00a0Syntax<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The syntax of the<strong>\u00a0free<\/strong>\u00a0command in <strong>Linux<\/strong>\u00a0is simple, as shown below.<\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">free [OPTION]...<\/code><\/pre>\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#cedfe2;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#E8F9FC;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><strong>Note: <\/strong>In the syntax above, the <strong>OPTION<\/strong>\u00a0enclosed by the square brackets means it is not mandatory and <strong>three dots<\/strong>\u00a0after the square brackets mean multiple <strong>OPTIONS <\/strong>can be used after the <strong>free <\/strong>command.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"C_Options\"><\/span>C.\u00a0Options<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The <strong>free<\/strong>\u00a0command has multiple options available. I have listed a few of them. You can learn more about the <strong>free <\/strong>command, its <strong>options<\/strong>\u00a0and their uses by checking the <strong>man<\/strong>\u00a0page.<\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">man free<\/code><\/pre>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><a id=\"useful-options\" style=\"color: #800080;\"><\/a>Useful Options<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-list\" style=\"margin-left:20px\">\n<ul>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>-b, &#8211;bytes: <\/strong>Prints the amount of memory in bytes.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>-k, &#8211;kibi: <\/strong>Prints the amount of memory in kibibytes. This is the default.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>-m, &#8211;mebi: <\/strong>Prints the amount of memory in mebibytes.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>-g, &#8211;gibi: <\/strong>Prints the amount of memory in gibibytes.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>&#8211;tebi: <\/strong>Prints the amount of memory in tebibytes.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>&#8211;pebi: <\/strong>Prints the amount of memory in pebibytes.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>&#8211;kilo: <\/strong>Prints the amount of memory in kilobytes.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>&#8211;mega: <\/strong>Prints the amount of memory in megabytes.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>&#8211;giga: <\/strong>Prints the amount of memory in gigabytes.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>&#8211;tera: <\/strong>Prints the amount of memory in terabytes.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>&#8211;peta: <\/strong>Prints the amount of memory in petabytes.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>-h, &#8211;human: <\/strong>Prints the memory in a human-readable format.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>-w, &#8211;wide: <\/strong>Switch to Wide mode, which generates lines exceeding 80 characters.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>-c, &#8211;count \u201cX\u201d: <\/strong>Displays the result X times. \u00a0Requires the -s option.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>-s, &#8211;seconds \u201cX\u201d<\/strong>: Continuously prints result after every &#8216;X&#8217; seconds.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>&#8211;si: <\/strong>Uses kilo, mega, giga etc (power of 1000) instead of kibi, mebi, gibi (power of 1024).<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>-t, &#8211;total: <\/strong>Prints the total amount of free and used physical memories in kilobytes.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>-V,&#8211;version: <\/strong>Displays the version of the free command.<\/li>\n<li><i class=\"sui sui-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#000000\"><\/i> <strong>&#8211;help: <\/strong>Displays the help information of free command.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#cedfe2;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#E8F9FC;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><strong>Note: <\/strong>Commands and their <strong>options<\/strong>\u00a0are <strong>case-sensitive <\/strong>in <strong>Linux<\/strong>. So, be careful while using them. <\/div><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Practical_Examples_of_the_%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D_Command_in_Linux\"><\/span>Practical Examples of the \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In <strong>Linux<\/strong>, the <strong>free<\/strong>\u00a0command is a helpful tool to get information about the available and used memory in the system. In the section below, I will show you some of the most useful applications for the <strong>free<\/strong>\u00a0command in <strong>Linux<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Example_1_Output_Memory_Usage_in_Human_Readable_Format\"><\/span>Example 1: Output Memory Usage in Human Readable Format<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">A useful way to<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>keep track of your<strong>\u00a0system&#8217;s memory<\/strong>\u00a0usage is to output memory usage in a <strong>human-readable<\/strong>\u00a0format. Whether you are a system administrator trying to troubleshoot performance issues or you are trying to optimize\u00a0your code, understanding the memory usage of your system is important. In a<strong>\u00a0Linux<\/strong>\u00a0environment, the<strong>\u00a0&#8220;free&#8221;<\/strong>\u00a0command is commonly used to display information about <strong>total memory<\/strong>,<strong>\u00a0usage<\/strong>\u00a0and the <strong>available amount <\/strong>of memory, all in <strong>kilobytes<\/strong>. However, this output can be difficult\u00a0for a human to interpret. So, you can follow the steps below to get the output in a <strong>human-readable<\/strong>\u00a0format using<strong>\u00a0option -h<\/strong>\u00a0with the <strong>free<\/strong>\u00a0command.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Steps to Follow &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u278a At first, open the <a href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/what-is-terminal-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Ubuntu Terminal<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u278b<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Now, execute the following command.<\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">free -h<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>\u278c Then, press the <strong>ENTER<\/strong>\u00a0key.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Output &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In the following image, you can see that I have displayed the memory amount in a<strong>\u00a0human-readable<\/strong> format.<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4866\" src=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-1.png\" alt=\"Showing the memory amount in a human-readable format using the free command in linux.\" width=\"825\" height=\"110\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-1.png 825w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-1-300x40.png 300w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-1-765x102.png 765w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 825px) 100vw, 825px\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080; font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Similar Readings<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/time-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201ctime\u201d Command in Linux [4 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/tty-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201ctty\u201d Command in Linux [4 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/uptime-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cuptime\u201d Command in Linux [5 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/vmstat-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cvmstat\u201d Command in Linux [6 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/uname-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cuname\u201d Command in Linux [11 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/apt-get-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201capt-get\u201d Command in Linux [10 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Example_2_Continuously_Show_Memory_Usage_After_a_Specific_Time\"><\/span>Example 2: Continuously Show Memory Usage After a Specific Time<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">You can monitor the amount of memory usage after a specific time using the<strong>\u00a0free<\/strong>\u00a0command combined with the <strong>option -s<\/strong>. The <strong>option -s <\/strong>of the<strong>\u00a0free<\/strong>\u00a0command generally sets the<strong>\u00a0interval<\/strong>\u00a0between updates in seconds. In this section, I will demonstrate the use of the<strong>\u00a0-s option<\/strong> as well as its output. You can do the same by following the steps given below.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Steps to Follow &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u278a First, open the <strong>Ubuntu Terminal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u278b<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Next, run the command to continuously display the memory usage in a time interval of <strong>\u201c5\u201d <\/strong>seconds.<\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">free -s 5<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>\u278c Finally, tap the <strong>ENTER<\/strong>\u00a0button.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Output &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>As you can see in the image below, I have continuously <strong>displayed<\/strong>\u00a0the memory status over a <strong>5-seconds<\/strong>\u00a0time span.<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4867\" src=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-2.png\" alt=\"The memory status has been continuously displayed\u00a0over a 5-seconds\u00a0time span using the free command in linux.\" width=\"825\" height=\"370\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-2.png 825w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-2-300x135.png 300w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-2-767x344.png 767w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 825px) 100vw, 825px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#cedfe2;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#E8F9FC;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><strong>Note: <\/strong>The \u201c<strong>-s<\/strong>\u201d option of the \u201c<strong>free<\/strong>\u201d command only allows you to set the update time interval between outputs, not the number of times the output should be displayed.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Example_3_Specify_Output_Units_of_%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D_Command_in_Linux\"><\/span>Example 3: Specify Output Units of \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The <strong>free <\/strong>command in<strong>\u00a0Linux<\/strong>\u00a0allows you to specify\u00a0the units\u00a0of memory usage. There are different units like <strong>bytes<\/strong>,<strong>\u00a0kibibytes<\/strong>,<strong>\u00a0mebibytes<\/strong>, <strong>gibibytes<\/strong>,<strong>\u00a0tebibytes<\/strong>, <strong>pebibytes<\/strong>,<strong>\u00a0kilobytes<\/strong>, <strong>megabytes<\/strong>, etc. The<strong>\u00a0options<\/strong>\u00a0for each unit are mentioned in the \u201c<a href=\"#useful-options\"><strong>Useful Options<\/strong><\/a>\u201d section. In this example, I will display the memory status in <strong>mebibytes<\/strong>\u00a0(using <strong>option -m, &#8211;mebi<\/strong>) and <strong>megabytes<\/strong>\u00a0(using <strong>option &#8211;mega<\/strong>) units. However, the<strong>\u00a0&#8211;mega option<\/strong>\u00a0gives the same output as that of<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>the<strong>\u00a0combined options<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>&#8211;si -m<\/strong>\u00a0or <strong>&#8211;si &#8211;mebi.<\/strong>\u00a0You can use the options to display the memory in the following manner.<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#cedfe2;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#E8F9FC;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;\"><strong>Note: <\/strong>The<strong>\u00a0option &#8211;si <\/strong>stands for <strong>I<\/strong>nternational <strong>S<\/strong>ystem for Units.<strong>\u00a0Option &#8211;mebi<\/strong>\u00a0gives an output in <strong>mebibytes (1024 KiB or MiB)<\/strong>, which is a unit of digital information storage. When<strong>\u00a0options &#8211;si and &#8211;mebi <\/strong>merge together, the output is shown in<strong>\u00a0SI <\/strong>units (<strong>1000 KB<\/strong>). That&#8217;s why the <strong>options &#8211;mega<\/strong>\u00a0and<strong>\u00a0&#8211;si&#8211;mebi<\/strong>\u00a0give the same result.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Steps to Follow &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u278a Open the <strong>Ubuntu Terminal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u278b<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Execute the following command to display the memory usage in the <strong>mebibytes<\/strong>\u00a0unit.<\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">free -m<\/code><\/pre>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>OR,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">free --mebi<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>\u278c Then, press the <strong>ENTER<\/strong>\u00a0key.<\/p>\n<p>\u278d Now, run the following command to display the memory usage in <strong>megabytes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">free --mega<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>\u278e At this point, hit the <strong>ENTER<\/strong>\u00a0button.<\/p>\n<p>\u278f You can get the exact same result as <strong>\u201cfree &#8211;mega\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0by executing the command below.<\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">free --si -m<\/code><\/pre>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>OR,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">free --si --mebi<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>\u2790 In the end, tap the <strong>ENTER<\/strong>\u00a0button.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Output &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In the following image, you can see that I have displayed the memory usage in different <strong>units <\/strong>using the<strong>\u00a0free<\/strong> command.<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4868 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-3.png\" alt=\"The amount memory usage is shown in different units.\" width=\"825\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-3.png 825w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-3-300x102.png 300w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-3-766x261.png 766w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 825px) 100vw, 825px\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080; font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Similar Readings<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/top-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The &#8220;top&#8221; Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/getent-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cgetent\u201d Command in Linux [11 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/groupadd-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cgroupadd\u201d Command in Linux [7 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/addgroup-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201caddgroup\u201d Command in Linux [7 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/groups-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cgroups\u201d Command in Linux [6 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/firewall-cmd-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cfirewall-cmd\u201d Command in Linux [7 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Example_4_Print_Output_Memory_Details_Multiple_Times_Using_the_%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D_Command_in_Linux\"><\/span>Example 4: Print Output Memory Details Multiple Times Using the \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The<strong>\u00a0\u201cfree\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0command provides an easy way to <strong>check<\/strong>\u00a0memory usage, and with the <strong>\u201c-c\u201d <\/strong>option, you can print the output<strong>\u00a0multiple times<\/strong>. The <strong>\u201c-c\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>option<\/strong>\u00a0sets the number of updates, making it easy to monitor memory usage over time. In this example, I will print out the memory details <strong>three<\/strong>\u00a0times in the<strong>\u00a0terminal<\/strong>. You can do the same by following the steps below.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Steps to Follow &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u278a Open the <strong>Ubuntu Terminal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u278b Then, execute the below command.<\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">free -c 3<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>\u278c Press the <strong>ENTER<\/strong>\u00a0button.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Output &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The below image shows that I have printed out the<strong>\u00a0memory<\/strong>\u00a0details <strong>three times<\/strong> in the terminal.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4869\" src=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-4.png\" alt=\"The\u00a0memory\u00a0details is printed three times\u00a0in the terminal.\" width=\"825\" height=\"268\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-4.png 825w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-4-300x97.png 300w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-4-767x249.png 767w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 825px) 100vw, 825px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Example_5_Separate_Buff_and_Cache_Columns_Using_the_%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D_Command_in_Linux\"><\/span>Example 5: Separate Buff and Cache Columns Using the \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The<strong>\u00a0\u201cfree\u201d <\/strong>command with the <strong>\u201c-w\u201d option<\/strong>\u00a0in<strong>\u00a0Linux <\/strong>provides a useful way to<strong>\u00a0separate buffers<\/strong>\u00a0and <strong>cache<\/strong>\u00a0memory and monitor memory<strong>\u00a0usage<\/strong>\u00a0more effectively. By separating these columns, you can obtain a clearer picture of memory usage and make decisions about performance <strong>optimization<\/strong>\u00a0and <strong>troubleshooting<\/strong>. In this example, I will show you the process to separate the <strong>\u201cbuffers\u201d <\/strong>and <strong>\u201ccache\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0columns. You can do the same by following the steps below.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Steps to Follow &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u278a First, open the <strong>Ubuntu Terminal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u278b Then, execute the following command.<\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">free -w<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>\u278cAfter that, hit the<strong>\u00a0ENTER <\/strong>key again.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Output &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The image below displays the<strong>\u00a0separation<\/strong>\u00a0of the <strong>\u201cbuffers\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0and <strong>\u201ccache\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0columns while displaying the <strong>memory<\/strong> details.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4870 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-5.png\" alt=\"The \u201cbuffers\u201d\u00a0and \u201ccache\u201d\u00a0columns are separated\u00a0while displaying the memory\u00a0details using the free command in linux.\" width=\"825\" height=\"91\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-5.png 825w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-5-300x33.png 300w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-5-762x84.png 762w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 825px) 100vw, 825px\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080; font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Similar Readings<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/groupmod-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cgroupmod\u201d Command in Linux [5+ Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/id-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cid\u201d Command in Linux [7+ Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/service-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cservice\u201d Command in Linux [6 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/sestatus-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201csestatus\u201d Command in Linux [4 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/shutdown-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cshutdown\u201d Command in Linux [7 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/finger-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cfinger\u201d Command in Linux [6 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Example_6_Displaying_the_Total_Memory_Column_Using_the_%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D_Command_in_Linux\"><\/span>Example 6: Displaying the Total Memory Column Using the \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The <strong>\u201cfree\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0command with the <strong>\u201c-t\u201d <\/strong>option in <strong>Linux<\/strong>\u00a0provides a useful way to display the <strong>total memory<\/strong>. By including the total memory in the output, you can obtain a clearer picture of memory usage. Here, in this section, I will show you how to display the <strong>\u201ctotal\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0column, which displays the amount of<strong>\u00a0total memory<\/strong>\u00a0usage. You can do the same by following the steps below.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Steps to Follow &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u278a Open the <strong>Ubuntu Terminal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u278b<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Then, execute the command below.<\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">free -h -t<\/code><\/pre>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>OR,<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">free -h --total<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>\u278c Now, tap the <strong>ENTER<\/strong>\u00a0button.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Output &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In the following image, you can see that I have displayed the <strong>total memory<\/strong>\u00a0column using the <strong>\u201cfree\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0command in<strong>\u00a0Linux<\/strong>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4871 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-6.png\" alt=\"The total memory\u00a0column has been displayed using the \u201cfree\u201d\u00a0command in\u00a0Linux.\" width=\"825\" height=\"125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-6.png 825w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-6-300x45.png 300w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-6-766x116.png 766w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 825px) 100vw, 825px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Example_7_Get_Help_About_the_%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D_Command_in_Linux\"><\/span>Example 7: Get Help About the \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In <strong>Linux<\/strong>, the <strong>help page<\/strong>\u00a0for the <strong>free<\/strong>\u00a0command contains a brief description of the command. You can see the <strong>help<\/strong>\u00a0page by following the steps mentioned below.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Steps to Follow &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u278a At first, open the <strong>Ubuntu Terminal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u278b<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Then, type the following command into the command prompt:<\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">free --help<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>\u278c Now, press the <strong>ENTER<\/strong>\u00a0button.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Output &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In the image below, you can see the <strong>help<\/strong>\u00a0page for the<strong>\u00a0free <\/strong>command in <strong>Linux<\/strong>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4872\" src=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-7.png\" alt=\"Showing the help\u00a0page for the\u00a0free command in Linux.\" width=\"825\" height=\"736\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-7.png 825w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-7-300x268.png 300w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-7-768x685.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 825px) 100vw, 825px\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080; font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Similar Readings<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/dmesg-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cdmesg\u201d Command in Linux [7+ Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/install-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cinstall\u201d Command in Linux [6+ Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/reboot-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201creboot\u201d Command in Linux [3 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/sync-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201csync\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/chage-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cchage\u201d Command in Linux [7 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/env-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cenv \u201d Command in Linux [9 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Example_8_Get_the_Version_of_the_%E2%80%9Cfree%E2%80%9D_Command_in_Linux\"><\/span>Example 8: Get the Version of the \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">You can see the current <strong>version <\/strong>of the <strong>free <\/strong>command on your <strong>Linux<\/strong>\u00a0machine with the<strong>\u00a0&#8211;version<\/strong>\u00a0option. Here, I will<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>show you the version of the <strong>free <\/strong>command<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>for my machine on the <strong>terminal<\/strong>. You can do the same by following the steps given below:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Steps to Follow &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u278a Open the <strong>Ubuntu Terminal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u278b<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Run the following command:<\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-bash\" data-line=\"\">free --version<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>\u278c Press the <strong>ENTER<\/strong>\u00a0key.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>Output &gt;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In the following image, you can see that I have displayed the <strong>version<\/strong>\u00a0of the <strong>free <\/strong>command<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>in <strong>Linux<\/strong>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4873\" src=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-8.png\" alt=\"The version\u00a0of the free command\u00a0in Linux has been shown.\" width=\"446\" height=\"86\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-8.png 446w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-8-300x58.png 300w, https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-linux-8-768x148.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 446px) 100vw, 446px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The<strong>\u00a0free <\/strong>command in <strong>Linux<\/strong>\u00a0is a simple\u00a0and powerful tool for monitoring <strong>memory usage<\/strong>\u00a0on the system. By utilizing its various options, you can gain a complete understanding of your system&#8217;s memory utilization and make decisions about optimizing memory usage. I have designed this article aiming to provide a comprehensive guide to the <strong>free<\/strong> command, with practical examples to help you get started\u00a0and become an advanced user.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080; font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Similar Readings<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/passwd-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The &#8220;passwd&#8221; Command in Linux [7 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/df-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cdf\u201d Command in Linux [11 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/sudo-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201csudo\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/apt-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201capt\u201d Command in Linux [13+ Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/htop-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The &#8220;htop&#8221; Command in Linux [7 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/enable-command-in-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The \u201cenable\u201d Command in Linux [6 Practical Examples]<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-auto kksr-align-center kksr-valign-bottom\"\n    data-payload='{&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;4862&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;valign&quot;:&quot;bottom&quot;,&quot;ignore&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;reference&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;count&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;legendonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;readonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;starsonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;best&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;gap&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;greet&quot;:&quot;Rate this post&quot;,&quot;legend&quot;:&quot;0\\\/5 - (0 votes)&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;The \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples]&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;_legend&quot;:&quot;{score}\\\/{best} - ({count} {votes})&quot;,&quot;font_factor&quot;:&quot;1.25&quot;}'>\n            \n<div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 0px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                \n\n<div class=\"kksr-legend\" style=\"font-size: 19.2px;\">\n            <span class=\"kksr-muted\">Rate this post<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The free\u00a0command in Linux\u00a0is a handy tool for system administrators\u00a0and other users as well. It provides valuable information about the &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"The \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples]\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#more-4862\" aria-label=\"Read more about The \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples]\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":314892,"featured_media":4874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[51],"class_list":["post-4862","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-linux-commands","tag-system-commands","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples] - LinuxSimply<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The free command in Linux displays the summary of RAM usage, including physical memory, swap memory, and buffers.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples] - LinuxSimply\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The free command in Linux displays the summary of RAM usage, including physical memory, swap memory, and buffers.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"LinuxSimply\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-01-31T03:52:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-08-30T09:59:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-Linux.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"S. M. Amdadul Islam\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"S. M. Amdadul Islam\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/free-command-in-linux\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/free-command-in-linux\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"S. M. Amdadul Islam\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d0ccfa2e6c3bddb8ae34898f9d45b4ee\"},\"headline\":\"The \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples]\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-01-31T03:52:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-30T09:59:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/free-command-in-linux\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1875,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/free-command-in-linux\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/free-command-in-Linux.png\",\"keywords\":[\"system commands\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Linux Commands\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/free-command-in-linux\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/free-command-in-linux\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/free-command-in-linux\\\/\",\"name\":\"The \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples] - LinuxSimply\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/free-command-in-linux\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/free-command-in-linux\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/free-command-in-Linux.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-01-31T03:52:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-30T09:59:24+00:00\",\"description\":\"The free command in Linux displays the summary of RAM usage, including physical memory, swap memory, and buffers.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/free-command-in-linux\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/free-command-in-linux\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/free-command-in-linux\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/free-command-in-Linux.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/free-command-in-Linux.png\",\"width\":400,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"free command in Linux\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/free-command-in-linux\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples]\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"LinuxSimply\",\"description\":\"All About Linux\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"LinuxSimply\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/09\\\/LinuxSimply-New-Logo-Without-Icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/09\\\/LinuxSimply-New-Logo-Without-Icon.png\",\"width\":355,\"height\":48,\"caption\":\"LinuxSimply\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d0ccfa2e6c3bddb8ae34898f9d45b4ee\",\"name\":\"S. M. Amdadul Islam\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/09\\\/S.-M.-Amdadul-Islam-II-96x96.png\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/09\\\/S.-M.-Amdadul-Islam-II-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/09\\\/S.-M.-Amdadul-Islam-II-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"S. M. Amdadul Islam\"},\"description\":\"Hello everyone. I am S. M. Amdadul Islam, currently working as a Linux Content Developer Executive at SOFTEKO. I am a Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NAME) graduate from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. In addition to my regular work, I enjoy watching Youtube, discovering new things, gossiping with friends, visiting new places, and taking photos of landscapes. Read Full Bio\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/amdadul-islam\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/linuxsimply.com\\\/author\\\/amdad\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples] - LinuxSimply","description":"The free command in Linux displays the summary of RAM usage, including physical memory, swap memory, and buffers.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples] - LinuxSimply","og_description":"The free command in Linux displays the summary of RAM usage, including physical memory, swap memory, and buffers.","og_url":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/","og_site_name":"LinuxSimply","article_published_time":"2023-01-31T03:52:02+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-08-30T09:59:24+00:00","og_image":[{"width":400,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-Linux.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"S. M. Amdadul Islam","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"S. M. Amdadul Islam","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/"},"author":{"name":"S. M. Amdadul Islam","@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d0ccfa2e6c3bddb8ae34898f9d45b4ee"},"headline":"The \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples]","datePublished":"2023-01-31T03:52:02+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-30T09:59:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/"},"wordCount":1875,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-Linux.png","keywords":["system commands"],"articleSection":["Linux Commands"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/","url":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/","name":"The \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples] - LinuxSimply","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-Linux.png","datePublished":"2023-01-31T03:52:02+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-30T09:59:24+00:00","description":"The free command in Linux displays the summary of RAM usage, including physical memory, swap memory, and buffers.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-Linux.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/free-command-in-Linux.png","width":400,"height":400,"caption":"free command in Linux"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/free-command-in-linux\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The \u201cfree\u201d Command in Linux [8 Practical Examples]"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/","name":"LinuxSimply","description":"All About Linux","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/#organization","name":"LinuxSimply","url":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/LinuxSimply-New-Logo-Without-Icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/LinuxSimply-New-Logo-Without-Icon.png","width":355,"height":48,"caption":"LinuxSimply"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d0ccfa2e6c3bddb8ae34898f9d45b4ee","name":"S. M. Amdadul Islam","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/S.-M.-Amdadul-Islam-II-96x96.png","url":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/S.-M.-Amdadul-Islam-II-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/S.-M.-Amdadul-Islam-II-96x96.png","caption":"S. M. Amdadul Islam"},"description":"Hello everyone. I am S. M. Amdadul Islam, currently working as a Linux Content Developer Executive at SOFTEKO. I am a Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NAME) graduate from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. In addition to my regular work, I enjoy watching Youtube, discovering new things, gossiping with friends, visiting new places, and taking photos of landscapes. Read Full Bio","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/amdadul-islam"],"url":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/author\/amdad\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4862","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/314892"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4862"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4862\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linuxsimply.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}