Adding swap space

Adding swap space on Arch Linux can be done in two primary ways: by creating a swap file or by setting up a swap partition. Swa is useful for systems with limited RAM; it allows the system to use disk space for memory overflow. Using a swap file is generally easier and more flexible than partitioning, especially on systems that are already set up. Here’s how you can add a swap file on Arch Linux:

Creating a Swap File

Create a Swap File

First, you need to create a file that will serve as your swap space. You can create a swap file of the desired size using the dd command. For example, to create a 4GB swap file, you can use:

sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/swapfile bs=1M count=4096 status=progress

This command will create a file called /swapfile with a size of 4GB.

###Set Permissions

For security, set the swap file's permissions so that only root can read and write to it:

sudo chmod 600 /swapfile

Make the File Usable as Swap

Format the file to a swap format using the mkswap command:

sudo mkswap /swapfile

Activate the Swap File

Turn on the swap file with the swapon command:

sudo swapon /swapfile

Make the Swap File Permanent

To ensure the swap file is used on system boot, add it to your /etc/fstab file. Open /etc/fstab in a text editor with root privileges:

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Add the following line at the end of the file:

/swapfile none swap sw 0 0

Save and close the file.

Check the Swap Status

You can verify that the swap is active by using:

swapon --show
Or:

free -m

Adjusting Swappiness (Optional)

The "swappiness" parameter controls how often your system uses swap space. It's a value between 0 and 100; a lower value makes the kernel try to avoid swapping whenever possible, while a higher value allows more aggressive swapping.

To temporarily change the swappiness value:

sudo sysctl vm.swappiness=10
To make this change permanent, add the following line to your /etc/sysctl.conf file:

Copy code
vm.swappiness=10

Conclusion

This approach of using a swap file is flexible and simple for most use cases. If you prefer a swap partition due to performance considerations or personal preference, the process involves using a partitioning tool like fdisk or gparted to create the swap partition, and then using mkswap and swapon to initialize and enable it, similarly to how the swap file is set up.