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Grant writes: |
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> From what I understand of how Linux handles memory, it |
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> will fill it up as quickly as possible, and then free it as necessary. |
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> This makes it difficult to determine how much RAM is necessary from |
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> watching top. |
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> |
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> I read on this list that the kernel needs *some* swap, even just a |
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> tiny amount, to function properly. Is that true? |
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Not really. Think about live-CDs, the usually do not use swap space. |
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However, I heard that having at least a little swap space may increase |
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performance, regardless of how much free RAM there is. Don't know if this is |
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still true nowadays (if it ever was), I doubt it. |
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> If so, do you think |
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> it would be OK to put this tiny amount of swap on a cheap SSD? |
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If you have enough RAM (with 4GB you probably have, but that depends on how |
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you use your workstation), you can even put your swap into RAM. Sounds |
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silly, but http://kerneltrap.org/node/3660 claims it makes some sense. I |
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don't believe it, but I'm no expert. |
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Wonko |
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