How do I get 20.2 to use my new swap space?

[wutsinterweb]

I added swap space, but 20.2 is still stuck at 2 GB.

[Michael_Hathaway]

https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-add-sw ... ntu-20-04/

[wutsinterweb]

thanks!

[wutsinterweb]

I'll atttempt after the holiday.

[jimallyn]

What do you mean by "added swap space"? Do you mean that you added a drive you want to use for swap? Or that you created a new partition you wish to use as swap? If either of those, you don't need or want to create a swap file, all you need to do is edit your fstab file to point to that drive or partition that you wish to use as swap. Most of us here use a swap partition rather than a swap file.

[SMG]

I added swap space, but 20.2 is still stuck at 2 GB.

That is the size of the default swap file which is created automatically when one installs Linux Mint 19 and 20. One can increase the size of that swap file, create an additional swap file, or create a swap partition to supplement the swap file(s).

If you created a swap partition to supplement that swap file, then you would need to make sure Mint knows the new swap partition exists by adding it to fstab.

[Hippie_gramps]

Did you get this fixed? I have the exact same problem... New to forum and Linux! Is it ok to post a note here if same problem and recent post? Mint 19.2 cinnamon desktop. 10 year old Dell laptop, dual core pentium with 4gb ram. I believe the fstab reference is my problem now but afraid to mess things up!! )

[SMG]

I believe the fstab reference is my problem now but afraid to mess things up!! )

Welcome to the forum, Hippie_gramps.

Did you add swap to the swap file or a swap partition? Open a terminal and run cat /etc/fstab to show us your fstab results.

[Hippie_gramps]

Sorry, couldn't get back to laptop yesterday. It was a was a swap file I am pretty sure, followed the directions here (viewtopic.php?f=90&t=284301&p=1929566&h ... e#p1929566), to delete and then recreate new file of 4.0 gb size... and all seemed to work fine, except now new allocated space not being used by OS.

contents of fstab:
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
# / was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=2ef6cf6b-afff-4c75-8c57-be8ebf2800a7 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
/swapfile none swap sw 0 0

Thank you in advance!

[rene]

Your /etc/fstab says that those instructions you linked are fine and applicable, so the question becomes as to how you determined that now not all 4G is being used. Look at the output of the command free; it should say "Swap: 4194300" for a (precisely) 4G large swapfile /swapfile that has been "formatted" as per those instructions. If it does all's well; if it does not, said output of free together with the output of ls -l /swapfile would tell us whether or not you in fact followed those instructions (correctly).

[Hippie_gramps]

I apologize again for delayed response...not much computer time lately, honey do list too long..

results of free command

Code: Select all

              total        used        free      shared  buff/cache   available
Mem:        4001596     1209648      287364      349356     2504584     2160256
Swap:       4194300       18772     4175528

output of ls command for swapfile
-rw------- 1 root root 4294967296 Nov 30 10:15 /swapfile

I learned swapfile not utilized from resource monitor...hardly budged even though it reported accurately bump in size from 2-4 gb. I even stupidly froze the computer yesterday, testing it by maxing out memory by opening several image files with a video editor app. Had to hard reset but learned since then about commands I should have tried instead to just restart the OS. Even while studying this issue yesterday I imagined I may have had a pagefile before I started this procedure, still not clear to me the best path forward, without causing further damage. Thank you again for your help/suggestions!

[SMG]

I learned swapfile not utilized from resource monitor...hardly budged even though it reported accurately bump in size from 2-4 gb.

It would only be used if the system calls for it to be used. If you were not maxing out your computer's RAM and swap in the past, then increasing the swap size isn't really going to have an impact because the extra swap is not needed.

The data you posted indicates the swap file is there and it is being used. However, your system at the time that was run still had plenty of RAM available. The system will use RAM before it uses swap. Using RAM is faster and is preferred.

Whether or not RAM/swamp are used depends on how the software program is designed.

[wutsinterweb]

Hello all. I apologize for not updating sooner, my life has become cluttered with other things.

I performed the steps in that link and created a larger swap file and since then my system hasn't locked up or given me much trouble. Sometimes it slows down some, but something with it has improved problems I've had since 19.x. My laptop only has 8 GB of RAM while gets progressively used up with just browser use over about 24 hours use. There might be some sub optimal thing with the base OS memory management for an older system like mine, my laptop has a 3rd gen i5 in it. It is a Lenovo and I don't remember offhand the model number.

It doesn't seem to USE more swap than the 2 GB the default set for me, but something is different since following those steps. Very curious.

If I don't respond quickly, be aware that the chrisis in the Philippines and a number of other things have me distracted and preoccupied.

[wutsinterweb]

sorry swap SPACE

[wutsinterweb]

yes indeed, setting and instantiating a different and larger swap space has mostly ameliorated my lock up problem, though sometimes shutdowns lock at the end of the sequence.