How To Increase Swap Space in Ubuntu

In this article, we will explore various methods to increase swap space in Ubuntu, a crucial aspect of system administration. Swap space is a portion of your computer’s hard drive that the operating system uses as a memory extension. It’s particularly useful when your system is running low on RAM. Let’s dive into how you can increase your swap space.

Creating a Swap File

One of the easiest ways to increase swap space in Ubuntu is by creating a swap file. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Creating the Swap File Open your terminal and run the following command:

   sudo fallocate -l 800M /swapfile

   This command uses the fallocate utility to create a new file. The -l parameter specifies the size of the file. In this case, we’re creating an 800MB file. You can adjust this size according to your needs.
2. Setting the Correct Permissions To ensure that the swap file can’t be tampered with, we need to set the correct permissions. Run the following command:

   sudo chmod 600 /swapfile

   The chmod command changes the permissions of a file. The 600 permission code means that only the owner (root, in this case) can read and write to the file.
3. Activating the Swap File Now, we need to tell Ubuntu to start using the new file as swap space. Run the following commands:

   sudo mkswap /swapfile
   sudo swapon /swapfile

   The mkswap command sets up a Linux swap area on a device or in a file. The swapon command enables the swap file.
4. Making the Swap File Permanent To ensure that Ubuntu continues to use the swap file after a reboot, add the following line to the /etc/fstab file:

   /swapfile none swap sw 0 0

   The /etc/fstab file contains information about disks and disk partitions. By adding this line, we’re telling Ubuntu to automatically use the swap file at startup.

Resizing the Swap Partition

If you have unallocated space adjacent to your swap partition, you can increase swap space by resizing the swap partition. This method requires a partition manager like GParted. Here’s how to do it:

1. Boot into a Live Session To resize the swap partition, you need to boot into a live session of Ubuntu using a USB or DVD.
2. Open GParted Once you’re in the live session, open GParted.
3. Resize the Swap Partition Disable the swap partition, resize it to your desired size, and then enable it again.
4. Update the UUID After resizing, you may need to update the UUID of the swap partition in the /etc/fstab file.

Using ZFS

If you’re using ZFS, you can create a ZFS volume for swap space. Here’s how:

1. Create a ZFS Volume Run the following command:

   sudo zfs create -V 800M -b $(getconf PAGESIZE) -o logbias=throughput -o sync=always -o primarycache=metadata -o com.sun:auto-snapshot=false rpool/swap

   This command creates a ZFS volume with a size of 800MB. The -V option specifies the volume size, and the -b option sets the block size to the page size of the system. The logbias=throughput option optimizes the volume for throughput, and the sync=always option ensures data consistency. The primarycache=metadata option tells ZFS to only cache metadata, and the com.sun:auto-snapshot=false option prevents ZFS from automatically creating snapshots.
2. Format and Enable the Volume Run the following commands:

   sudo mkswap -f /dev/zvol/rpool/swap
   sudo swapon /dev/zvol/rpool/swap

   The mkswap command formats the ZFS volume as swap, and the swapon command enables it.
3. Make the Volume Permanent Add the ZFS volume to the /etc/fstab file to make it persistent:

   /dev/zvol/rpool/swap none swap defaults 0 0

Remember to adjust the size values and paths according to your specific requirements. It’s also important to note that resizing partitions or creating ZFS volumes can be risky, so it’s recommended to backup your data before proceeding.

In conclusion, Ubuntu provides several methods to increase swap space, each with its own advantages and considerations. Whether you’re creating a swap file, resizing a swap partition, or using ZFS, you now have the knowledge to effectively manage your system’s swap space.