Linux Swap question...

timothyb89

timothyb89

New Member
After replacing my Seagat pocket hdd, i've ended up with a SimpleTech 160 GB hdd. I'm planning to install Linux on it, but I really want to know if there are any linux distros thta support SWAP. This computer has only 64 MB or RAM, so I need a swap file/or swap partition. (*partitions hdd*)

Does anyone know about linux-swap partitions, or how to use them?

BTW: I can use Fedora Core 3, Linspire (version unknown), and Xandros 2.5 (which I personally like). Also, if these all support some kind of swap, I'll take suggestion on which one to use.

BTW2: If I can use a linux-swap partition, would it be a primary or extended partition?
 
prettymuch any POSIX compliant OS can do swap partitions,swap files, or swap RAMdisks if you wish.....or any combo and size of the above

standard procedure with most linux distros is a swap partition which is type 83 and when creating it with fdisk it would be a primary partition

BUT, if you dont make one you can always add a swap file later and put it wherever you want........linux means options and freedom to do almost anything you want.

Usually twice your RAM size ip to 512mb is fine, Linux when properly setup will very rarely use the swap space if at all.
 
The GUI, if I'm correct, requires, 192 MB of RAM. So you're saying I can create a Linux-SWAP partition, and configure a distro to use it?

BTW: (again) Since this is a USB drive, should I install the bootloader or boot in to it directly from the BIOS? I don't want my computer to um... not work.
So it would boot correctly if the drive wasn't attached?
 
if your gonna boot from a USB drive I'd make a swap file on the hard drive already on the system--------will NOT work with NTFS, linux is ok read-only with NTFS, writing is still experimental at best

GUI RAM usage varies greatly, there like a dozen or more GUI's to choose from from very bloated with lots of features and eye candy to very spartan and basic, your choice there

even KDE with a fresh start up of X only uses maybe 75mb give or take until you start running apps..........firefox in almost any OS it runs on for example will easily eat more than a 100mb sometimes
 
Ok... I'm going with Linspire 4.5. It's loading on my laptop now...

I created a 256 MB linux-swap partition, and a 49.5 GB ext3 partition for the Linspire installer to take over.

Anything I should know?
 
here goes...

Will my laptop need the USB drive I am installing this on to boot into the Windows ME that is currently installed?
 
the boot loader will go onto the MBR of the hard drive in the laptop(traditional install), it may have issues at boot if the USB isnt present though-----bootloader will likely go looking for it if its like most-->GRUB and LILO are both provided with info telling them what OS's are onboard, no USB when they are expecting one might be a problem

using/making a floppy bootloader would bypass/fix this
 
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