Helping new users-What Is A Swap file?

[wizard]

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Here's the 13th topic in the Helping new users series

Thanks
wizard

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A swap file can be used if your computer has a low amount of ram memory. A swap file is not as fast as ram memory, but can allow your computer to run more demanding programs without crashing. Swap files are normally stored on an internal drive or USB harddrive

Swap files are not created on USB flash drives or SDcards.

During your first shutdown, you may be ask if you want a swap file

General Guidelines:
If you have less than 2gb of ram, create a 1024mb swap file.
-choose the Destination
-click Create pupswap.swp

swapfile.png (25.38 KiB) Viewed 1040 times

Need more help? Join the forum and post your questions in Beginners Help.

[bigpup]

Swap is a space on a disk that is used when the amount of physical RAM memory is full.
When a Linux system runs out of RAM, inactive pages are moved from the RAM to the swap space.
Freeing up RAM space for other uses.

A dedicated location for swap space is first needed to be made, before it can be seen and used.
Swap space can take the form of either a dedicated swap partition or a swap file.
If a swap partition is not present, the only option is to create a swap file.

[Phoenix]

Just because a swap partition isn't present upon usage, or the disk is entirely occupied doesn't mean we can't make it!

Step 1: Determine partition type that you are using for Puppy
If its not ext4, go to step 2

Step 2: Use the right tool! (And not toast your own drive/system)
Boot into RAM mode, or boot into Windows.
RAM mode for every partition excluding ntfs.
If you are going to be resizing ntfs, boot to Windows!!! (I cannot stress this enough, I already have destroyed my window partition single-handedly just by resizing.)

Use GParted/Disk Management to shrink partition. Make a new partition (in Linux) and select the type 'swap'. Feel free to define the size, I recommend 512MB-1G.

Step 3: Reboot/dynamic loading

You now have the option to swap it on right now! Or you can just reboot and not bother with doing it yourself.

To swap on, use GParted, right click the entry for your new swap partition, and determine its path. (Should be /dev/something )
Then type in swapon /dev/something and you're ready to go!
Warning: If it complains its not a swap, do not force or make it one. Make sure you have the right information box and that its type listed is swap