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# Garbage collector configuration

## Minimark

PyPy’s default `minimark` garbage collector is configurable through several environment variables:

`PYPY_GC_NURSERY`
  The nursery size. Defaults to 1/2 of your cache or `4M`. Small values (like 1 or 1KB) are useful for debugging.
`PYPY_GC_MAJOR_COLLECT`
  Major collection memory factor. Default is `1.82`, which means trigger a major collection when the memory consumed equals 1.82 times the memory really used at the end of the previous major collection.
`PYPY_GC_GROWTH`
  Major collection threshold’s max growth rate. Default is `1.4`. Useful to collect more often than normally on sudden memory growth, e.g. when there is a temporary peak in memory usage.
`PYPY_GC_MAX`
  The max heap size. If coming near this limit, it will first collect more often, then raise an RPython MemoryError, and if that is not enough, crash the program with a fatal error. Try values like `1.6GB`.
`PYPY_GC_MAX_DELTA`
  The major collection threshold will never be set to more than `PYPY_GC_MAX_DELTA` the amount really used after a collection. Defaults to 1/8th of the total RAM size (which is constrained to be at most 2/3/4GB on 32-bit systems). Try values like `200MB`.
`PYPY_GC_MIN`
  Don’t collect while the memory size is below this limit. Useful to avoid spending all the time in the GC in very small programs. Defaults to 8 times the nursery.
`PYPY_GC_DEBUG`
  Enable extra checks around collections that are too slow for normal use. Values are `0` (off), `1` (on major collections) or `2` (also on minor collections).

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