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#1 2005-05-16 21:21:24

deft
Member
Registered: 2005-03-14
Posts: 79

Swappiness

Hi - Is it ok to use /etc/rc.conf to set swappiness on boot-up - ie setup a parameter like:

vm.swappiness=x

If so, is it ok to put it at the end of the file.

Thanks.

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#2 2005-05-16 21:41:10

tomk
Forum Fellow
From: Ireland
Registered: 2004-07-21
Posts: 9,839

Re: Swappiness

It won't work at the end of rc.conf - you need to put it in rc.local.

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#3 2005-05-16 22:20:59

deft
Member
Registered: 2005-03-14
Posts: 79

Re: Swappiness

Thanks - however, it doesn't work in /etc/rc.local either - it gives

"command not found"

as a last boot up message, just before login - in addition, I tried putting it in:

/etc/sysctl.conf

however, Arch doesn't seem to use this file sad ?? - is it possible to call this file from somewhere? - anyone have any other thoughts.

At the moment my setting is set to 60 (which is the default apparently) - would like to lower this somewhat.

Thanks

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#4 2005-05-16 22:42:08

lanrat
Member
From: Poland
Registered: 2003-10-28
Posts: 1,274

Re: Swappiness

1. Create /etc/sysctl.conf and put your settings in it.
2. Add /sbin/sysctl -p to /etc/rc.local.
3. Reboot or run sysctl -p as root.

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#5 2005-05-16 23:06:54

deft
Member
Registered: 2005-03-14
Posts: 79

Re: Swappiness

Cheers Ianrat - that worked perfectly smile - last boot message was;

vm.swappiness=x

without any errors, and checked:

cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness

and it has changed accordingly.

BTW - what does anyone think - for an ordinary desktop user with say 512 mb ram, would it be useful to reduce it to say

vm.swappiness=10

or 20 etc from the default of 60.

Or does anyone think it's overrated and there'd be little difference in desktop app snappiness/responsiveness/loading.

Does anyone else use this tweak ?

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#6 2005-05-17 08:48:05

blitze
Member
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: 2004-03-19
Posts: 54

Re: Swappiness

Seems to work here nicely
Arch Linux
Dual AMD MP 2000
GF 6600GT
1 Gig Ram

etc.
great find and a pity you can't get options for tuning like this with OS installers.  Oh well.


Leave ones footprint not in the physical world but the in the world of the mind.

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#7 2005-05-17 08:58:59

tomk
Forum Fellow
From: Ireland
Registered: 2004-07-21
Posts: 9,839

Re: Swappiness

deft wrote:

Thanks - however, it doesn't work in /etc/rc.local either - it gives

"command not found"

Well, it would do that - wm.swappiness is not a command, after all. You could have done it in rc.local with the following command:

echo x > /proc/sys/vm/swappiness

and I probably should have clarified that for you. Glad you're sorted, anyway.

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#8 2005-05-17 10:18:20

deft
Member
Registered: 2005-03-14
Posts: 79

Re: Swappiness

Thanks all - just as a heads up and for further interest - might be something of use below:

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8308
http://kerneltrap.org/node/3000

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#9 2005-05-17 14:11:40

CyberTron
Member
From: Gotland ,Sweden
Registered: 2005-03-17
Posts: 645
Website

Re: Swappiness

this file, swappiness, does one have to install any specific programs for it to show, ??


http://www.linuxportalen.com  -> Linux Help portal for Linux and ArchLinux (in swedish)

Dell Inspiron 8500
Kernel 2.6.14-archck1  (selfcompiled)
Enlightenment 17

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#10 2005-05-17 15:24:10

deft
Member
Registered: 2005-03-14
Posts: 79

Re: Swappiness

As a kernel "feature", you should be able to modify it via a run-time tunable - to start with, open an xterm and as an ordinary user type:

$ cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness

It should give you a default value of 60.

After you've verified that succesfully - then follow the instructions further up the thread to change it.

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#11 2005-05-17 17:33:05

CyberTron
Member
From: Gotland ,Sweden
Registered: 2005-03-17
Posts: 645
Website

Re: Swappiness

I do not have that file, I have compiled my own kernel, 2.6.11.8 with CKO6 patchset..


http://www.linuxportalen.com  -> Linux Help portal for Linux and ArchLinux (in swedish)

Dell Inspiron 8500
Kernel 2.6.14-archck1  (selfcompiled)
Enlightenment 17

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#12 2005-05-17 18:42:57

lucke
Member
From: Poland
Registered: 2004-11-30
Posts: 4,018

Re: Swappiness

ck patchset uses so-called mapped watermark instead (and actually most of other patchsets use it as well, taking it from ck). It's configurable at /proc/sys/vm/mapped. Check ck's homepage for more info ;-)

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#13 2005-05-17 19:58:31

CyberTron
Member
From: Gotland ,Sweden
Registered: 2005-03-17
Posts: 645
Website

Re: Swappiness

ah..thanks..that does explain it:D


http://www.linuxportalen.com  -> Linux Help portal for Linux and ArchLinux (in swedish)

Dell Inspiron 8500
Kernel 2.6.14-archck1  (selfcompiled)
Enlightenment 17

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