Files

Caches

What is cache?

Cache is technique used to enhance performance by storing a copy of highly popular data in locations or ways which provides better performance than the original source. An example of cache is memory (RAM). Since memory is much faster and have less access time than disks, popular data is loaded to memory and by doing so enhances the computers performance. Cache can boost performance both when the original source is slower than the computers memory and when bandwidth is a problem. An example of when bandwidth is a problem is when viewing a web page. Your browser caches page elements and uses the cached element to reduce load time when you return to a recently viewed page. This results in that page element are loaded from the browser cache at your computer instead from the original server.

In Cocktail cache is divided into the three groups System, User and Internet cache. User and Internet cache can be cleared for both the current user's and for every user. The only thing that differ in the path to different users are the UID (Users ID). An exception to this is the root user who lives in /private/var/root. If you enable the everyone option every account including the root account will be cleared.