# Diagnosing Swap Usage with smem on Linux

DevFeed: [Diagnosing Swap Usage with smem on Linux](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/diagnosing-swap-usage-with-smem-on-linux-20866.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://linuxblog.io/diagnosing-swap-usage-smem-linux/>)

Author: Hayden James

Published: 2026-07-20T01:18:57Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [Hayden James](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/hayden-james.md>)

Topics: [Linux performance](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/linux-performance.md>), [Linux](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/linux.md>), [Processes](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/processes.md>), [Kernel](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/kernel.md>), [MySQL](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/mysql.md>)

Tags: [blog](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/blog.md>), [commands](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/commands.md>), [kernel](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/kernel.md>), [linux](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/linux.md>), [linux-performance](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/linux-performance.md>), [memory](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/memory.md>), [mysql](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mysql.md>), [performance](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/performance.md>), [process](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/process.md>), [processes](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/processes.md>), [server](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/server.md>), [sysadmins](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/sysadmins.md>), [systems](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/systems.md>)

## AI overview

This tutorial explains why Linux may use swap even when free RAM remains and shows how to use smem to identify processes consuming swap. It also discusses reviewing memory-heavy services and cautiously adjusting swappiness.

## Source excerpt

If you've ever looked at your server and wondered why it's using swap even though plenty of RAM is available, you're not alone. This is a common scenario on Linux systems, and it can impact performance if not addressed. Continue reading...