Arch Linux

graysky

Wiki Maintainer

From: :wq

Registered: 2008-12-01

Posts: 10,643

Website

speed-up firefox using tmpfs

I came across a pretty cool firefox tip that shows you to use tmpfs for your firefox profile.  I wrote up a wiki article based on the tip (crediting the original source on the wiki).  Please have a look and comment if you think it's value-added:

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Spe … sing_tmpfs

Last edited by graysky (2009-08-19 11:45:05)

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CPU-optimized Linux-ck packages @ Repo-ck  • AUR packages • Zsh and other configs

Wintervenom

Member

Registered: 2008-08-20

Posts: 1,011

Re: speed-up firefox using tmpfs

Easier:  go to about:config, create a new string variable called browser.cache.disk.parent_directory, set it to /dev/shm/ff-cache, restart Firefox.
Easiest:  go to about:config, filter for disk.enable, set it to false, and let memory caching do its thing.

Last edited by Wintervenom (2009-08-19 16:13:05)

ugaciaka

Member

From: Italy

Registered: 2008-07-06

Posts: 140

Website

Re: speed-up firefox using tmpfs

I maked another way very simple (very similary with Wintervenom):

in /etc/fstab i mounted /tmp in ram

none /tmp tmpfs mode=1777,nosuid,noatime 0 0

and in about:config I insert
browser.cache.disk.parent_directory /tmp/firefox-ugaciaka

PS /tmp is very small but more speed!

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graysky

Wiki Maintainer

From: :wq

Registered: 2008-12-01

Posts: 10,643

Website

Re: speed-up firefox using tmpfs

Thanks for the replies, all.  I think the two methods you guys suggest will just relocate the cache dir to a memory partition, not the entire profile.  Also, I have read on several blogs that Firefox has speed issues w/ no disk cache (I haven't confirmed it though).  In any case, thanks for the suggestions, particularly moving the cache to /dev/shm/x via browser.cache.disk.parent_directory

Last edited by graysky (2009-08-19 17:11:39)

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CPU-optimized Linux-ck packages @ Repo-ck  • AUR packages • Zsh and other configs

graysky

Wiki Maintainer

From: :wq

Registered: 2008-12-01

Posts: 10,643

Website

Re: speed-up firefox using tmpfs

@Wintervenom - added your method to the wiki page.

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CPU-optimized Linux-ck packages @ Repo-ck  • AUR packages • Zsh and other configs

FSX

Member

Registered: 2009-08-06

Posts: 57

Re: speed-up firefox using tmpfs

This is awesome!

But I wonder what happens when the 128MB tmpfs is full. Does someone know?

lilsirecho

Veteran

Registered: 2003-10-24

Posts: 5,000

Re: speed-up firefox using tmpfs

Then swap is utilized until its gone..slower then!

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