Automating System Monitoring: Check Free Memory with a Simple Script

As a developer, systems administrator, or DevOps engineer, keeping an eye on system performance is crucial for maintaining smooth operations. One essential metric is memory usage, as excessive memory consumption can lead to performance degradation or even crashes.

Here’s a simple script in Bash that allows you to check the free memory on your system. Whether you're troubleshooting or simply monitoring resources, this can be a quick and easy way to keep tabs on your machine's health.

Bash Script to Check Free Memory

# memUsed= 'free -m | head -2 | tail -1 | awk ' { print $3 } ' '

#totalMem= 'free -m | head -2 | tail -1 | awk ' { print $2 } ' '

#memUsedPercentage=' expr $memUsed \* 100 / $totalmem '

How It Works:

1. free -m shows memory usage in megabytes.
2. grep Mem: filters out the memory line.
3. awk '{print $4}' extracts the available memory (the fourth column, which represents free memory).
4. The result is displayed in megabytes.

Why This Is Useful:

• Quick Monitoring: Helps you check the memory status without needing any complex setup.
• Automation-Friendly: Perfect for adding to cron jobs or regular system checks.
• No Dependencies: Uses standard Linux commands, so no need for additional tools or installations.

By incorporating simple scripts like these into your monitoring processes, you can save valuable time and keep your systems running efficiently.

Feel free to modify and integrate this script into your workflow!