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Linode Out of Memory: OOM Killer Kills MySQL, Apache or Node

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Workaround available Linux Updated November 14, 2026Based on 4 user reportsHow we research

Quick answer

When a Linode runs out of RAM and swap, the kernel OOM killer terminates processes such as MySQL. Confirm in the kernel log, reduce memory use, add swap as a buffer, or resize to a bigger plan.

Most likely fix: Confirm the kill

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

  1. 1. Confirm the kill

    1. Open Lish if SSH hangs
    2. Run sudo journalctl -k -g 'oom|out of memory|killed process'
    3. After a reboot use sudo journalctl -k -b -1 -g 'oom|out of memory|killed process'
    4. Run vmstat 1 10 and watch the si and so columns for swap thrashing
    Did this fix it?

  2. 2. Reduce memory use

    1. Lower database buffer sizes and web worker counts
    2. Cap Java with -Xmx below available RAM
    3. Find the biggest process with top or ps aux --sort=-%mem
    Did this fix it?

  3. 3. Add headroom

    1. Add a swap file as a safety buffer (not a substitute for RAM)
    2. Resize the Linode in Cloud Manager to a larger plan; note resizing creates a new billable service line on your invoice
    Did this fix it?

Symptoms

Services such as mysqld or apache die at random, the server freezes or becomes sluggish, and the kernel log shows 'Out of memory: Kill process'.

Why it happens

  • The workload needs more RAM than the plan has (1 GB Nanode is easy to exhaust)
  • Swap is full or very small
  • A memory-hungry process (database, Java, PHP workers) without limits
  • Swap thrashing slows the machine without the killer triggering

This guide also covers

  • linode out of memory
  • linode oom killer
  • linode mysql keeps crashing
  • linode server freezes

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