SWAP partition is not always necessary on a modern Linux PC.
SWAP partition is not always necessary on a modern Linux PC.
You should evaluate whether a swap partition is necessary for your system. Given your 8G RAM and the limitations of using your HDD as virtual memory, it’s likely better to allocate dedicated swap space rather than relying on the hard drive. Consider how much free space you have available and aim for a reasonable size—typically around 1-2x your swap requirement. Since you mentioned not having enough storage, you might explore alternatives like using RAM expansion or checking if your OS supports faster swap files. If you opt for a partition, ensure it’s properly configured and monitor usage to avoid performance hits.
Linux swaps space occurs when RAM is completely filled. By default, it adjusts to match the available RAM. The swap partition must exist, though its size can be adjusted—try around 2 or 4 GB for a balance.
You can disable it anytime—just make sure you understand what you're doing. Ignoring the advice might lead to problems, not just minor issues. They suggest keeping at least 512 MB free in case things get unstable and consume your memory, which could cause a kernel panic. Be careful and read thoroughly before proceeding.
It's been three years since I haven't used the SWAP partition. I've been running Ubuntu for two years now and have Arch Linux. Three years ago, I had only 6 GB of RAM on Arch, which has grown to 8 GB. I primarily use Firefox 15-30 tabs, PyCharm, and Steam (playing Doom, CS:GO, L4D 2, Portals). My system has never had any issues. I don't need a swap at all; my RAM usage stays under 173 MB during a fresh install, rarely reaching up to 5 GB.
Fortunately, you didn’t run out of memory. At work I had to upgrade my RAM from 8GB to 16GB since my tasks reached 8GB and needed swapping. I also manage a network of Docker containers that replicate a small portion of AWS infrastructure, but always keep some swap available just in case.
Yes, you can generate a swap file directly without creating a full partition. This method provides flexibility and avoids the need for a separate partition setup.
Choose a swap file over a partition if you don’t want to create one—this file expands as needed, similar to a Windows page file. It doesn’t have to be huge; even 128MB works for some programs needing extra space.