Linux OOM on the desktop

You know what the biggest functional difference is between running FreeBSD and Linux on the desktop? Out of memory errors. On FreeBSD, I rarely get them. On Linux, I regularly do. Despite running KDE on both, and despite largely using the same applications. KDE on Linux will pop up to advise me the system is low on memory, then it’ll pop up again to advise that it’s killed a random program (without my input) to free it up. ARC on FreeBSD and macOS doesn’t get enough praise. No, not ZFS ARC, though that’s also great. By Ruben Schade in Sydney, 2026-09-24.