10.6: Free up system resources using Automator

Jun 10, '11 07:30:00AM

Contributed by: kolouker

Snow Leopard only hintGiven the popularity of utility programs that let you free up computer resources, it is worth noting that we can get the same effect free of charge using built-in system tools. The simple trick behind utilities that free up computer resources is the purge command. Instead of using any of these apps, it is enough to fire up Terminal.app, type in 'purge' (no quotes) and press Enter.

This may be of course a bit cumbersome if we repeat this task often. In order to speed up the process and limit the procedure to a single click, we can use Automator to make a small app or a service to execute the 'purge' command.

Do do so we have to:

I have saved the workflow as an Application, and placed it in my Dropzone.app grid. This way, the purge command is just one click away, and is always accessible from the dock.

I have tested this on 10.6 and 10.7.

[crarko adds: I tested this (in 10.6.7), and it works as described. Obviously you'll begin consuming resources again after the purging when you run applications.]

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