Breaking

Developer Builds Linux Tool That Emails Sam Altman When Local RAM Sits Idle

November 7, 2026 at 20:52 EST

Infra & Chips

A developer has released a Linux utility called Ram-Altman that monitors a computer's memory and sends an email to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman when that RAM is sitting unused, a tongue-in-cheek response to Altman's recent remarks about idle memory in personal computers.

Linux utility · Tongue-in-cheek response

A Linux tool emails Sam Altman every time your RAM sits idle

Ram-Altman logs a Linux machine's memory use at regular intervals and reports idle stretches to Altman. It takes his claim that personal-computer RAM is used "maybe 5% of the time" and turns it into a running measurement.

Share of time Altman claims personal-computer RAM is used

95%

Implied idle share if the 5% figure holds

Independent datasets presented on real-world PC memory use

What "5% used" looks like at scale

Each block is 5% of the time. One block is active use; nineteen are idle, if the claim holds.

Claim not independently verified.

100% of time

5% active

1 block

95% idle

19 blocks

How the tool works

1. Sample

Reads memory stats at set intervals

→

2. Detect

Flags periods of low usage

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