What is this in my System Monitor?

[ccalleri]

What is kernel_task .. look how much memory is being used. Is this normal?

 

[Eidorian]

That's Process 0, effectively it's OS X and it spawns every other process for it.

 

[iBookG4user]

That's the core of Mac OS X, without it you wouldn't be able to run the OS and it would crash.

 

[ccalleri]

is the amount of memory it's using normal? .. what should it range?

 

[Mxsix]

Is that picture from a cold boot?

 

[ultimateceej]

Mine is using 1.07 GB virtual memory on a 2.16 MBP 2 GB RAM and it seems to be running perfectly.

 

[Eidorian]

Is that picture from a cold boot?

I see process 7429, so no.

 

[clevin]

mine

 

[ccalleri]

I see process 7429, so no.

correct .. it's NOT a cold boot .. but from what i am gathering it's totally normal! .. thx! ..

however, what is the "window_server" process?

 

[ultimateceej]

I'm pretty sure that it has something to do with Expose and Dashboard as in it controls the movement of the windows and such.... just a guess.

 

[Eidorian]

correct .. it's NOT a cold boot .. but from what i am gathering it's totally normal! .. thx! ..

however, what is the "window_server" process?

It's the graphical process of OS X in which the GUI runs off of. For my Mac mini right now, the first 69 processes are before I ever even log in.

 

[JFreak]

You guys will need to realise that OSX is a UNIX system. There are lots of processes just to keep the operating system going! It's a beauty, really. There should be no other operating systems besides UNIX, if you ask me.

 

[Eidorian]

You guys will need to realise that OSX is a UNIX system. There are lots of processes just to keep the operating system going! It's a beauty, really. There should be no other operating systems besides UNIX, if you ask me.

I suggest viewing the Activity Monitor in "All Processes, Hierarchically". You can then see what processes spawn others.