Hello,
I try to create a swap file on my odroid and my pi 3.
I do dietpi-drive_manager → selecting the drive → create swap → 1 → enter (or tab enter) → magic things happening. After that there is no X in the “[]”. When I navigate again in the create swap menu the value is again 0. This happens everytime.
Is this normal?
if you are connected via SSH, you should be able to scroll up a little bit. There you should see some information above the blue text box. Could you share that information pls.
sudo dietpi-drive_manager
[sudo] password for nick:
[ INFO ] DietPi-Drive_Manager | Detecting drives, please wait...
[ INFO ] DietPi-Drive_Manager | - Detected mounted physical drive: /dev/mmcblk1p1 > /
[ INFO ] DietPi-Drive_Manager | - Detected mounted network drive: 192.168.178.28:/volume1/homes > /mnt/nas
[ INFO ] DietPi-Drive_Manager | - Detected mounted physical drive: /dev/sda2 > /mnt/0CB818880CB81888
[ INFO ] DietPi-Drive_Manager | - Detected unmounted drive: /dev/sda1
[ OK ] DietPi-Drive_Manager | mv .fstab /etc/fstab
[ OK ] DietPi-Drive_Manager | systemctl daemon-reload
[ INFO ] DietPi-Drive_Manager | Checking for required APT packages: e2fsprogs ntfs-3g
[ OK ] DietPi-Drive_Manager | sync
[ SUB1 ] DietPi-Services > stop
[ OK ] DietPi-Services | stop : cron
[ OK ] DietPi-Services | stop : docker
[ OK ] DietPi-Services | stop : noip2
[ SUB1 ] DietPi-Set_swapfile > Applying 1 /var/swap
[ INFO ] DietPi-Set_swapfile | Disabling and deleting all existing swap files
[ OK ] DietPi-Set_swapfile | swapoff -a
[ OK ] DietPi-Set_swapfile | Desired setting in /boot/dietpi.txt was already set: AUTO_SETUP_SWAPFILE_SIZE=0
[ OK ] DietPi-Set_swapfile | Desired setting in /boot/dietpi.txt was already set: AUTO_SETUP_SWAPFILE_LOCATION=/var/swap
[ INFO ] DietPi-Set_swapfile | Setting /tmp tmpfs size: 1891 MiB
[ OK ] DietPi-Set_swapfile | mount -o remount /tmp
where do you like to store the SWAP file on? On which file system? Can you share following pls
lsblk -o name,fstype,label,size,ro,type,mountpoint,partuuid,uuid
lsblk -o name,fstype,label,size,ro,type,mountpoint,partuuid,uuid
NAME FSTYPE LABEL SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT PARTUUID UUID
sda 931.5G 0 disk
├─sda1
│ vfat ESD-USB
│ 32G 0 part 3571e14c-01 90D9-1ECC
└─sda2
ntfs Daten 899.5G 0 part /mnt/0CB81 3571e14c-02 0CB818880CB81888
mmcblk1
│ 29.1G 0 disk
└─mmcblk1p1
ext4 29.1G 0 part / 096cb72a-01 9ff8c837-9bfd-4325-a808-88d6a5ffd817
mmcblk1boot0
4M 1 disk
mmcblk1boot1
4M 1 disk
I tried to store it on mmcblk1 it’s a emmc module.
For the odroid n2+…
Do you want the same information of my pi?
If you try to create the swap space on the drive manager, you will be ask on the size. What value did you specify there? How much physical memory you have?
I have the 4GB Odroid n2+ model.
I want the auto mode.
So I Type „1“ into the field.
In case of 4GB physical memory, no SWAP file is created using the automatic option 1. We create SWAP files for system having less than 2 GB memory only. If you require a SWAP file anyhow, you need to specify the size manually 
Background is that for most installations 2 GiB memory are sufficient, so the auto mode is only to assure that users don’t run into dietpi-software installation errors and all services start up. For more intense usage we cannot reasonably predict how large the swap file needs to be.
Good to know, thank you.
Well I had to google for this phenomena just to find it here in the forum.
In case of 4GB physical memory, no SWAP file is created
Dont you think you should explain that in the program instead of some place in the internet.
If you decide to limit the auto function to something to your liking, that’s fine.
But for someone who doesn’t know that, this is completly unlogic.
So please explain it in the programm.
for most installations 2 GiB memory are sufficient
I respectfully disagree
You can create every size of swap file you like using our tools. Just enter your preferred value and you are done. This will overwrite the automatic within our script. However the statement is still valid. For majority of devices, 2GB are enough. But we don’t prevent users from creating lager swap files if needed.
Yeah I get it. But still, I was setting it on auto because it is an intuitive choice.
Not knowing it’s limitations led to asking myself ‘why doesn’t it work’.
No explanation is to be found for that limitation.
So you have to assume it is a bug.
There is a descibing text right in the menu inside dietpi-drive_manager where you can set the swap.
- 0 = Disable swap file
1 = Auto size: 2 GB minus physical RAM size
2 and above = Manual size
not the obvious, but a hidden hint within the script
OK, so maybe you agree with me that explanationwise there is potential for improvement, right?
And btw, I have 4GB of RAM and I still need a swap file!
SWAP is the worst thing in terms of performance and probably your use case is not that typical for our users. Majority of users is fine as it is. Of course, there will be some who need more SWAP and for them we have the possibility to create as much as needed using our tool dietpi-drive_manager or call the script directly.
I don’t agree, there is a message displayed when you try to change it, idk what would be more sufficient.
I agreed is not clear. If a people already go to this config, and believe the software to create a swapfile because there’s literally the name of the command and it don’t with no message, nothing ( i mean message dissapear after using the command so…).
Well, it’s not clear.
EDIT : At least when you understand it’s pretty straightforward and easy. But maybe it need clarification somewhere about the philosophy around swap and zram, because it seem unclear. Maybe you have some knowledge about rpi and swap/zram and the pros and con. But i think the user should just need to be educated around this, but also have the freedom to try, just to test somes stuffs. Like for me, my server freeze sometimes (rpi 4 4gb ram). So i wanna know how it behave with swap and zram.
Now i understand you need to manually put a number in Mb in dietpi-drivermanager, and also edit /boot/dietpi.txt to add “zram” on the line about that. But it’s not quite clear at the beginning
RE-EDIT : Ho, my bad, to add zram you just need to enter /boot/dietpi/func/dietpi-set_swapfile 1 zram so, it’s pretty easy.