Comments on: SwapBoost v0.1alpha – early testers wanted http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2007/07/02/swapboost-v01alpha-early-testers-wanted/ Enhancing your Ubuntu experience! Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:00:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Scotthttp://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2007/07/02/swapboost-v01alpha-early-testers-wanted/comment-page-2/#comment-10841 Scott Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:31:55 +0000 http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/?p=359#comment-10841 ReadyBoost is not swap. It uses the flash drive as a drive cache for small files so that your system doesn't have to wait for the hard drive to spin up.ReadyBoost really does boost performance unless you're fortunate enough to have a SSD instead of a regular HD with moving parts - most of us don't. If you're not sure you've got one, you probably don't - a 16GB SSD will run you about $80.A system like ReadyBoost will help performance in any OS because it's a drive cache - so basically, if you've got a 4GB flash drive, it can be turned into a 4GB cache for small files. It saves your computer from waiting for your HD to spin up (or spin to the correct location), and it also allows you to cache more files by only caching small files on the flash drive and caching anything else in memory.Note that ReadyBoost has a size limit for the files it caches - because flash drives are slower than SATA drives, aside from the fact that they respond immediately. So if the file's smaller than a certain size, it's faster to read it from the flash drive - but if not, then it's faster to read it from the hard drive.In short, though - ReadyBoost is NOT swap memory, and using a flash drive like that will most likely slow your computer down. Not to mention - you cannot unplug a drive that's being used for swap and not risk losing data, but unplugging a drive cache is no problem - it's just a copy of what's already written to the drive. ReadyBoost is not swap. It uses the flash drive as a drive cache for small files so that your system doesn’t have to wait for the hard drive to spin up.

ReadyBoost really does boost performance unless you’re fortunate enough to have a SSD instead of a regular HD with moving parts – most of us don’t. If you’re not sure you’ve got one, you probably don’t – a 16GB SSD will run you about $80.

A system like ReadyBoost will help performance in any OS because it’s a drive cache – so basically, if you’ve got a 4GB flash drive, it can be turned into a 4GB cache for small files. It saves your computer from waiting for your HD to spin up (or spin to the correct location), and it also allows you to cache more files by only caching small files on the flash drive and caching anything else in memory.

Note that ReadyBoost has a size limit for the files it caches – because flash drives are slower than SATA drives, aside from the fact that they respond immediately. So if the file’s smaller than a certain size, it’s faster to read it from the flash drive – but if not, then it’s faster to read it from the hard drive.

In short, though – ReadyBoost is NOT swap memory, and using a flash drive like that will most likely slow your computer down. Not to mention – you cannot unplug a drive that’s being used for swap and not risk losing data, but unplugging a drive cache is no problem – it’s just a copy of what’s already written to the drive.

]]> By: Darrenhttp://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2007/07/02/swapboost-v01alpha-early-testers-wanted/comment-page-2/#comment-10815 Darren Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:52:38 +0000 http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/?p=359#comment-10815 Just found this after doing it myself (and writing about it). If you are unable to add RAM, and have a slow HDD, swap on flash is great and makes a noticable difference to interactivity. A 4G flash drive is cheap, and even if it lasts only a year (unlikely), it can make some pain go away.Cheers Just found this after doing it myself (and writing about it). If you are unable to add RAM, and have a slow HDD, swap on flash is great and makes a noticable difference to interactivity. A 4G flash drive is cheap, and even if it lasts only a year (unlikely), it can make some pain go away.

Cheers

]]> By: skaryhttp://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2007/07/02/swapboost-v01alpha-early-testers-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-10410 skary Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:14:50 +0000 http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/?p=359#comment-10410 nice. appears to be working. I haven't filled up my swap space yet but i'm sure that extra GB will help. nice. appears to be working. I haven’t filled up my swap space yet but i’m sure that extra GB will help.

]]> By: akhilhttp://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2007/07/02/swapboost-v01alpha-early-testers-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-10379 akhil Wed, 27 Jan 2010 06:34:20 +0000 http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/?p=359#comment-10379 hey i vl diffinitely like 2 folow with ur projct...v are also doing same project as our academic proj... hey i vl diffinitely like 2 folow with ur projct…v are also doing same project as our academic proj…

]]> By: mr. Xhttp://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2007/07/02/swapboost-v01alpha-early-testers-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-10120 mr. X Wed, 06 Jan 2010 06:03:51 +0000 http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/?p=359#comment-10120 this script will only make a swap on a flash drive... it's not like readyboost. the real and afaik only clone for linux is here: <a href="http://users.cis.fiu.edu/~zhaom/dmcache/index.html" rel="nofollow">http://users.cis.fiu.edu/~zhaom/dmcache/index.htm...</a> (gpl source available) and it's a lot more complex thing (it's a kernel module) this script will only make a swap on a flash drive… it's not like readyboost.

the real and afaik only clone for linux is here:
http://users.cis.fiu.edu/~zhaom/dmcache/index.htm...

(gpl source available)

and it's a lot more complex thing
(it's a kernel module)

]]> By: Add Extra Swap Space To Your Linux Box with a USB drive | Linux Hackshttp://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2007/07/02/swapboost-v01alpha-early-testers-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-10071 Add Extra Swap Space To Your Linux Box with a USB drive | Linux Hacks Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:42:14 +0000 http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/?p=359#comment-10071 [...] Linux OS. Increasing the swap space means increasing the system performance. Christer Edwards has written a shell script, which allows you to add a USB drive as an extra swap space in Linux. You can download the shell [...] [...] Linux OS. Increasing the swap space means increasing the system performance. Christer Edwards has written a shell script, which allows you to add a USB drive as an extra swap space in Linux. You can download the shell [...]

]]> By: ogretmenhttp://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2007/07/02/swapboost-v01alpha-early-testers-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-10010 ogretmen Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:18:18 +0000 http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/?p=359#comment-10010 Información muy útil. Gracias. Información muy útil. Gracias.

]]> By: ilke.muhtaroglu@openSuSE_10.2http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2007/07/02/swapboost-v01alpha-early-testers-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-7922 ilke.muhtaroglu@openSuSE_10.2 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:01:51 +0000 http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/?p=359#comment-7922 hi my probe crushes when i just plug-out the flash disk, it crushes :(how to solve this ? hi
my probe crushes when i just plug-out the flash disk, it crushes :(

how to solve this ?

]]> By: ilke.muhtaroglu@openSuSE_10.2http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2007/07/02/swapboost-v01alpha-early-testers-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-7921 ilke.muhtaroglu@openSuSE_10.2 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:21:57 +0000 http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/?p=359#comment-7921 Hi up,I have just did readyboost stuff by hand fromhttp://www.arsgeek.com/2008/07/24/readyboost-for-linux-a-quick-how-to/I am a Turk SuSE user and planning to do this stuff in turkish on SuSE.I have worked as a testere before My Computer Arcitecture was good ;)I will write here, is there any problem occured till now ?just 2 idea; USB Burns out in >3 years and some extra space should be left at drive ?"Peace at home, peace at World" M.K. Atatürk Hi up,

I have just did readyboost stuff by hand from

http://www.arsgeek.com/2008/07/24/readyboost-for-linux-a-quick-how-to/

I am a Turk SuSE user and planning to do this
stuff in turkish on SuSE.

I have worked as a testere before
My Computer Arcitecture was good ;)

I will write here, is there any problem occured till now ?

just 2 idea; USB Burns out in >3 years and some extra space should be left at drive ?

“Peace at home, peace at World” M.K. Atatürk

]]> By: Dialogue62http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2007/07/02/swapboost-v01alpha-early-testers-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-3859 Dialogue62 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 04:36:05 +0000 http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/?p=359#comment-3859 I've got a couple of machines using CF Flash as hard drives. They've been working for about a year now without any problems. I am seeing comments about flash sticks not being able to handle the rewrites in this thread. Is this a weakness of the flash in USB sticks? If so, will your batch work with a CF? My laptop has a CF port and I'd like to try this. I’ve got a couple of machines using CF Flash as hard drives. They’ve been working for about a year now without any problems. I am seeing comments about flash sticks not being able to handle the rewrites in this thread. Is this a weakness of the flash in USB sticks? If so, will your batch work with a CF? My laptop has a CF port and I’d like to try this.

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