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Optimise 9.10 SWAP with Swappiness [KARMIC KOALA BIBLE #13]

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RAM up Your SWAP for Improved Stability

20 Oct
ram image

Clearly, the order of the day is to RAM your machine up to the hilt, but enhancing the use of the swap file can also be a benefit. Here's how, using Swappiness.

Why? Because ..

Computing can be very RAM-intensive. Say, you are running a graphics editor, a web browser or two, office apps and, who knows, maybe even a video editor.

Then there's AC-DC playing in the background .. ;)

Set Up & Enhance Ubuntu 9.10 .. KARMIC KOALA BIBLE

In simple copy/paste steps .. from zero to hero.

Scroll down for the full series index.

Wake up and smell the Ubuntu! Hope it helps. the_guv

Check Your Swappiness Value

The lower the value, the longer it takes for swap to kick in. Of a scale of 0-100, the default is 60. Check yours:-

cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness

By way of a contradiction, Ubuntu's official swap guide - and if you are reading this you should also read that - recommends a way lower value, of just 10, to allow for quicker swap access. While there is no one-size-fits-all, have a play with various swappiness values.

To change the default, open:-

gksudo gedit /etc/sysctl.conf

Search for this:-

vm.swappiness=60

Swap the value to this:-

vm.swappiness=10

.. and that takes effect after a reboot.

vm.swappiness=60 Doesn't Exist

You opened the sysctl.conf file and vm.swappiness wasn't there? Very possible.

Just scroll to the bottom of the file and add your swappiness parameter to override the default, so paste:-

vm.swappiness=10

Change Swappiness Value Without Reboot

This is handy to try different values without having to reboot each time.

To change the swappiness value for the current session only, or until you change again the value, type:-

sudo sysctl vm.swappiness=10

.. where you want to try the value of 10, for example.

Install & Perfect Ubuntu 9.10 .. KARMIC KOALA BIBLE

Set up Koala .. tweak it to perfection .. & maximize productivity .. for work & play.

That's what the Karmic Koala Bible does, stepped out in easy copy/paste guides.

From Linux initiates to intermediates, here's what you need.

  1. Intro: Install & Perfect Ubuntu 9.10
  2. Ubuntu Desktop vs Server Edition?
  3. Plan Hard Drive Partition Strategy
  4. HOW-TO Install Ubuntu 9.10
  5. UPGRADE Jaunty 9.04 to Ubuntu 9.10
  6. apt-get v aptitude v Synaptic v Software Ctr
  7. Terminal Alias Shortcuts with bashrc
  8. Add The Best Software Repositories
  9. Safe-Upgrade 9.10 System & Packages
  10. Update Latest 9.10 Hardware Drivers
  11. Speed Up 9.10 by Disabling Services
  12. Speed Up 9.10 Boot & Personalise GRUB
  13. Optimise 9.10 SWAP with Swappiness
  14. Restore 9.10 'home' Folder from Backup
  15. SAVE TIME! Permanent Partition Mount
  16. TWEAK File Management Preferences
  17. Custom Keyboard Application Shortcuts
  18. Use Windows Key with Ubuntu 9.10
  19. HACK-PROOF 9.10 Anti-Virus & Firewall
  20. HOW-TO Disable Annoying System Beep
  21. Top 9.10 Software Picks by Category
  22. Add Application Launcher to Panel
  23. Set Preferred Startup Applications
  24. Remember Running Applications on Reboot
  25. Emulate Virtual OSes with VirtualBox


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Posted on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
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  1. Tony Maro November 4th, 2009 at 6:38 pm

    I think you may be mistaken...

    You state that a higher number means it "takes longer for swap to kick in" but the reverse is actually true. The higher number means swap is much more likely to be used. Setting the value to 10 means it's much less likely to use swap.

    However with today's systems having 4 or 8 or more GB of RAM, the lower number is definitely better and will result in better performance because less of your apps get swapped to the hard drive.

    So, the more ram you have, the lower you can safely set this number (all the way to zero even.)

  2. the_guv November 5th, 2009 at 8:26 am

    @Tony .. thank you, appreciated .. quite right, was wrong way round, now corrected :P

    nice point you make .. and a nice, handy site you have, BTW.

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  6. James Adams February 4th, 2010 at 8:45 am

    Thanks! Well Done. I am running Karmic Koala on a Compaq Deskpro PII450/100 with 256mb ram, Seagate Medalist 10232 10gb HD, Western Digital 35100 5gb HD, Nvidia Geforce MX-4000 128mb Video Ram. So the swap file was slowing everything way down. Thanks Again, james

  7. the_guv February 6th, 2010 at 8:35 pm

    @James .. pleased to help, good to hear, tx

  8. James February 17th, 2010 at 6:00 pm

    Wow... I don't think this makes too much difference to a newer computer, but on my family's older computer this setting made all the difference in the world! Thanks!

  9. the_guv February 18th, 2010 at 11:25 am

    @James .. I'd tend to agree .. thank you.

  10. Pete March 1st, 2010 at 3:09 pm

    Thanks a lot! Now even an old Pentium IV with only 256 MB RAM, runs pretty well on Ubuntu 9.10. :-)

  11. the_guv March 3rd, 2010 at 4:35 am

    good to hear Pete

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