[ale] how do I increase Linux swap file size?

[Geoffrey Myers]

Michael Trausch wrote:
> Even using my desktop system for heavy tasks, I rarely dip into swap 
> usage. I have 6 GB RAM, and unless I am being pretty wasteful everything 
> fits in that.  Even multilayer GIMP images while compiling the kernel 
> and GCC seems to not fill up memory (but I can say bye bye to I/O 
> bandwidth...)

I would suggest that if you're 'dipping into swap' on any kind of 
regular basis, it's time for more memory.  Swap is a protection 
mechanism, not something you want to use on a regular basis.

> 
> --
> Sent from my HTC Vision (G2), running Gingerbread.
> That is, a phone-like mobile device. :)
> 
> On Jan 18, 2011 9:56 AM, "Jim Kinney" <jim.kinney at gmail.com 
> <mailto:jim.kinney at gmail.com>> wrote:
>  > Swap space _really_ depends on how the system is used. A single user 
> desktop
>  > running web browsing and email can have swap turned of if the system 
> has 4GB
>  > RAM. Using a heavy memory application like extensive gimp on HUGE 
> files with
>  > loads of undo levels, leave the swap at 2:1 swap:RAM
>  >
>  > For a multi-user server, swap use will be determined by the type of
>  > application and the loading of it. A multi-purpose system running 
> mail, web,
>  > file servics, etc, will benefit from the swap space at around 2:1. But a
>  > high performance solo-service web server running tomcat with multiple
>  > multi-core cpu's will not benefit unless the web application has 
> long-lived
>  > caching of user state.
>  >
>  > High performance file servers (NFS or CIFS) should have swap nearly 
> turned
>  > off or at the most 1:1 for caching of system . If a fileserver starts
>  > hitting swap, the pager is about to start beeping.
>  >
>  > --
>  > --
>  > James P. Kinney III
>  > I would rather stumble along in freedom than walk effortlessly in chains.
> 
> 
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-- 
Until later, Geoffrey

"I predict future happiness for America if they can prevent
the government from wasting the labors of the people under
the pretense of taking care of them."
- Thomas Jefferson