SWAP settings

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Raziel
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SWAP settings

Post by Raziel »

I'm a little puzzled now, please someone shed a light

If i install a SWAP partition what are the "musts" i have to do and what re the "leave them"?

iiuic it goes like this (musts are bold)
MediaToolbox
1) choose a partition and call it SWAP (in my case i create a 1024MB one)
2) Leave the "Automount" option checked and the "Bootable" unchecked

Select filesystem/edit details
1) choose "SWAP" as filesystem
2) change the blocksize to 4096

3) Change buffers to your hearts content(???) - i left it on the default setting of 600
4) Leave maxtransfer at "1FE00" as this is the default setting (128KBytes) for IDE(???) - i did so
5) Leave mask at "FFFFFFFE"(???)
at point 5 i'm puzzled, where does that value come from?
i can't even choose it from the mask gadget.

What is the difference on choosing "any memory" and "any-memory 32-bit aligned" anyway?
Did i miss a documentation?

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Slayer
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Re: SWAP settings

Post by Slayer »

If it isn't in the OS4.1 manual then it probably doesn't matter, most of what you're selected sounds fine

Don't worry about the memory alignment thing it's probably ignored anyway but do select 32 it won't hurt, it's from an older era when Amiga systems could have 16bit and 32bit memory installed at the same time

And go with the fastest IDE setting, if we can't all go the fastest by now something is seriously wrong, again, this is probably ignored anyway...

Again with the mask select the one that is/sounds superior...

As for buffers, I personally use 2048 for every modern partition... I don't care if its over kill, my transfers and everything zoom away consistently and error free... I ain't changing ;) but again, this setting is probably ignored

If all elses fails trust the force...

when I got my very first Amiga in... err, when was that, I decided I didn't like the length of the mouse cord... using the force I decided to just cut it off... I split the cable etc managed to open the mouse housing and pondered for a moment, I slept on it, I woke up in the morning... using the force again I was struck with an idea so simple and so easy I knew I was a Jedi!

Go down to the store where I picked up my Amiga and get a new mouse... :lol:
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Slayer
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Re: SWAP settings

Post by Slayer »

Just looking at other posts it appears I might have just assumed you were using a newer model Amiga

so with an AmigaOneXE perhaps don't use the 2048 buffer option ;)

Everything else should still be applicable but ignored anyway
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Deniil
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Re: SWAP settings

Post by Deniil »

"change blocksize to 4096" sounds interesting. I don't know if I have that setting and I have serious problems with swapping on update 3, as I wrote elsewhere here. It seems to lock up as soon as something needs to be swapped back in after being swapped out.

Buffers are most likely ignored for the swap partition. AFAIUnderstand the buffers are only used to cache directory structures and filenames, and thus speed up directory scanning dramatically if set right.

The mask (FFFFFFFE) is for memory alignment and makes sure buffers cannot use odd addresses which is (or was) unpractical on the 16-bit ATA bus.
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Raziel
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Re: SWAP settings

Post by Raziel »

Deniil wrote:"change blocksize to 4096" sounds interesting. I don't know if I have that setting and I have serious problems with swapping on update 3, as I wrote elsewhere here. It seems to lock up as soon as something needs to be swapped back in after being swapped out.

Buffers are most likely ignored for the swap partition. AFAIUnderstand the buffers are only used to cache directory structures and filenames, and thus speed up directory scanning dramatically if set right.

The mask (FFFFFFFE) is for memory alignment and makes sure buffers cannot use odd addresses which is (or was) unpractical on the 16-bit ATA bus.
Thats funny because the installation process of AmigaOS4.1 strictly tells you to use 4096 as blocksize for SWAP.
That IS the reason why your SWAP doesn't work :-)

I did some speed tests on a partition and am now using for all my partitions:
Max Transfer: FFFFFFF (Maximum)
Mask: 7FFFFFFC (Any memory 32-bit aligned)

That gave the best results

Edit: Fixed mask
Last edited by Raziel on Thu Dec 08, 2011 2:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Deniil
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Re: SWAP settings

Post by Deniil »

Thats funny because the installation process of AmigaOS4.1 strictly tells you to use 4096 as blocksize for SWAP.
That IS the reason why your SWAP doesn't work :-)
Well I'm not sure about the settings. Haven't checked since I created it, and when I did create it (with OS4.1 or update 1 or 2 or something) I went by the book. It just stopped working with update 3. I will of course check when I get home! :)

Mask: 7FFFFFFE would be 16-bit aligned. (Binary ....11111111110).
Mask: 7FFFFFFC would be 32-bit aligned. (Binary ....11111111100).

But who knows, maybe the mask is related to IDE "words", i.e. 16-bit, so ..FFE gives two words = 32-bit. Don't think so though.
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Raziel
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Re: SWAP settings

Post by Raziel »

@Deniil

Yes, sorry typo, fixed in my post

Hmm, what would happen if i choose to install two SWAP partitions on two different HDs?

btw: I'm just in the process of testing intensly...it seems SWAP is not doing what it should or at least crashes often
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Rigo
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Re: SWAP settings

Post by Rigo »

There has been some changes in this area for Update 4, so I would suggest to hold any more reports until after that product ships.

Simon
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Raziel
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Re: SWAP settings

Post by Raziel »

Rigo wrote:There has been some changes in this area for Update 4, so I would suggest to hold any more reports until after that product ships.

Simon
Does that also cover my bug report?
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Re: SWAP settings

Post by sundown »

Raziel wrote:
Rigo wrote:There has been some changes in this area for Update 4, so I would suggest to hold any more reports until after that product ships.

Simon
Does that also cover my bug report?
It should. :-D
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