System and processes

The swapon command

Enables swap memory and shows which one is in use.

Syntax

swapon --show | swapon DISPOSITIVO

Most useful options

--showShows the active swap
-aEnables all swap from fstab

Copy-ready examples

$ swapon --showActive swap

You can try them in the browser terminal: it does not touch your computer.

Typical mistakes

  • It needs sudo to enable devices.

Related commands

swapoffmkswapfree

FAQ

How much swap do I need?

A common rule is equal to or twice the RAM on small machines.

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