OP bets nothing useful. Wrong.
Post proof or concede.
No logs, no proof. I have logs.
Tiny RAM challenge: what runs on 256MB in 2024?
So, the Kubernetes Control Plane alone needs more Memory than this, na ja. But for a gemütlich Single-Server Setup, 256 MB can work. I run Alpine Linux with a static Website, the Nginx, and a small WireGuard Tunnel. The Kernel needs some of the RAM too, obviously.
Docker is possible but not the Swarm Mode, only single Containers. The Compose File needs careful Limits.
My Setup:
- 45 MB Alpine Base System
- 12 MB Nginx
- 28 MB WireGuard
- rest for Buffer Cache
So, it is cozy. Not comfortable, but gemütlich.
I think about $/GB/RAM a lot
256MB challenge entries:
- 128MB: OpenWrt on HostHatch $1.50/mo
- 256MB: my actual winner below
- 512MB: too easy, everyone does this
Winner on 256MB:
- WireGuard (18MB)
- Pi-hole FTL (45MB with cache)
- nginx static site (12MB)
- Debian trimmed (80MB)
- 101MB free for spikes
Cost: $2/mo at RackNerd: https://www.racknerd.com. $8 per usable GB RAM. Not bad.
seedbox, NAS, tape, and three offsite
bravomartha
Member
I had this tiny server from Contabo that was only 256MB and I thought well thats ridiculous but I was eating cereal that morning it was cheerios with sliced banana and the cat was staring at me like she knew something and it was raining outside which is weird for November but anyway I installed alpine Linux which you should always do for low RAM and then I put a static site with hugo which builds on my desktop not the server because obviously and the cat knocked over my coffee while I was editing nginx.conf and I had to clean it up but the server uptime is now 87 days and I run a minecraft server no wait thats a lie I dont run minecraft I tried but it crashed obviously but the static site and a goph server both work and my neighbor said why do you have so many computers and I said none of your business and people never read my whole posts which is rude
> the cat knocked over my coffee while I was edit
This
Alpine and Hugo is solid though. I run similar on a 512MB box, 256MB is pushing it but doable if you serve the files from nginx not the hugo process.
ARM chips make this INSANE VALUE!
Ampere A1 on Oracle free tier: 1 GB RAM, but for 256MB challenge I used a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. Cortex-A53 sips power, runs circles around old x86 at same wattage.
My 256MB entry:
- Alpine aarch64
- darkhttpd (smaller than nginx!)
- tor relay (non-exit, 40MB)
- syncthing for backups
Total active: 198MB. 58MB buffer.
Could squeeze more but why? Runs cool, silent, ARM efficiency!
one small ping for man...
Hej, I have malý server on 256MB too
No, is not insane. I run into config:
- dnsmasq on server
- lighttpd for small page
- wireguard for tunnel
Hej, works fine. No need big RAM for simple thing.
Into log I see 40MB free usually. No problem with swap on malý disk.
Pxe boot also possible on such server, I test before. No, not production, but works.
boot anything, anywhere, anytime
Pi-hole on 256MB? With cache?
GroupStockholm
Member
Which Alpine kernel version?
TierAlex said:
Pi-hole on 256MB? With cache?
FTL 5.0+ changed the game. Default cache size dropped to 10k entries, fits in ~35MB with light query volume. My 45MB is conservative; I've seen 38MB in practice.
Without cache it's 25MB but then you might as well use dnsmasq.
seedbox, NAS, tape, and three offsite