Re: [aclug-L] RAM question

[Bob Deep <bobd@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jesse Kaufman wrote:
> 
> Bob Deep wrote:
> >
> > Jesse Kaufman wrote:
> > >
> > > ok, i will soon be adding another 32Mb RAM to my system, and was curious
> > > if there was anything that i will have to do to my linux config to make
> > > it see/use it...
> >
> > It should not require any changes... Install your memory and check what
> > linux sees (free -m).
> >
> > The only change you might want to make is to your swap size to follow
> > the rule of thumb of having swap that is twice the size of your
> > memory....It's unlikely you will need to though because your swap usage
> > will decrease with more memory.
> >
> 
> you think a 64Mb swap partition would be ok for 64Mb RAM?

Might as well use the maximum size for your swap partition if you have
the disk space. (See some other messages on this topic).  I use the
maximum allowed partition and have yet even come close to using half of
it with netscape, xemacs, and a kernel compile running with only 32 Meg
Ram.

Does anybody know if there are there any performance issues with large
swap areas?

It is very easy to add swap space "on the fly" assuming you are not
compleatly out of memory or disk space, so you can always add more swap
space just before you run that memory hog program.

I think the 2x rule of thumb may be a good place to start, but
individual usage patterns and the applications you use are really the
thing that drive your requirement.  Now days, with drive space and
memory being very cheap, the old rule of thumb is not as good a rule. 
Perhaps we should revise the rule to "Start with the max swap space and
add all the memory you can get and watch what happens. If you run out of
memory, add swap until you can get to the store to buy more RAM. If you
run out of disk space and you are not using your swap file (ever), then
use the swap space for your data, until you can get to the store to buy
a bigger hard drive..."

-= bob =-
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