/ and swap sizing (was: Fresh install Kubuntu 13.10: how best...)

[theuteck at gmail.com]

Swap is used to hibernate systems, so the x2 RAM method is still useful if you 
plan on using that feature.

On Friday, October 25, 2013 01:52:35 PM Felix Miata wrote:
> On 2013-10-25 20:19 (GMT+0300) Georgi Kourtev composed:
> > I have 30G for the root that is about half empty. The rest of my 250 G
> > disk
> > is /home, and 2G of swap. I also noticed that my swap is almost never
> > used.
> 
> Allocating 2X RAM for swap is an ancient anachronism, invented for machines
> with only 4M or less of installed RAM. Ordinary users with 4G (1000X as
> much) installed who need swap ever are rare. This machine with 4G installed
> RAM running 6 web browsers, 200+ tabs, plus other running apps runs a 10G /
> 59% full, no swap enabled, and no observable performance loss from lack of
> enabled swap. Allocating some swap to catch potential memory leakers before
> locking a system up makes some sense, but it is rarely necessary for more
> users. One common use where enable swap *might* provide observable speedup
> is duplicating DVDs using one DVD drive, since a temp file in RAM instead
> of HD is seriously faster. Net result though, due to I/O bottleneck, isn't
> so much faster.