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<title>swim - RAMDISK
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<h1>
swim - chapter 12<br>
RAMDISK
</h1>
<pre>usage: swim --ramdiskon
swim --ramdiskoff
options: [-n] [--searchfile] [--arch <architecture>]
[--dists <distribution>] [--dbpath] [--root]
no options for --ramdiskoff
</pre>
<P>
<hr>
<h2><A name="s12.1">
12.1 OVERVIEW
</A></h2>
A ramdisk can be mounted below the default path or the specified path for
the databases in the dramdisk directory. The ramdisk is used to speed up
powersearchs and/or file/dir listings for packages from the not-installed
system. Also, this is useful if a computer system is heavily loaded with
other processes using the memory, and the ramdisk tends to persist even
after being unmounted. Modern kernels usually are built with support for
ramdisks. If these options do not work the kernel will need to be compiled
to support ramdisks by answering yes to RAM disk support. Perhaps the best
<em>README</em> showing how to configure and compile a kernel comes with
the <em>kernel sources</em> in the main directory.
<P>
<strong>--ramdiskon</strong> allows a ramdisk to be created and mounted.
If called with <strong>-n</strong> (not-installed databases)
<em>ncontents-arch-dists.deb.gz</em> will automatically be written to the
mounted ramdisk. This provides faster file/dir listing capabilities when
using <strong>-l</strong>, <strong>--df</strong>, or <strong>-d</strong>
when querying the not-installed system. Faster powersearch capabilities
are available through the option <strong>--searchfile</strong>. If the
search databases are not already compressed, they will now be compressed,
this usually only needs to be done once or until the databases are updated
or rebuilt again. The search databases will then be written to the mounted
ramdisk. An installed system only writes the search databases to the
mounted ramdisk, so always use --searchfile when specifying installed
system databases.
<P>
<strong>--ramdiskoff</strong> is used to unmount the ramdisk. The
not-installed databases and the installed databases can not be
simultaneously provided by a mounted ramdisk, use
<strong>--ramdiskoff</strong> first, then <strong>--ramdiskon</strong> to
install the other databases of choice. This also pertains to different
distributions and/or architectures.
<P>
See the section ``<A href="ch-query.html#s-specdata">SPECIFYING THE DATABASES TO USE
, section 9.2</A>'' for
options <strong>--arch</strong>, <strong>-dists</strong>.
<P>
See the section ``<A href="ch-query.html#s-dblocus">DATABASE LOCATIONS
, section 9.11</A>'' for options
<strong>--dbpath</strong> and <strong>--root</strong>.
<hr>
swim
- <A href="index.html#copyright">
Copyright � 1999 Jonathan D. Rosenbaum
</A>
<br>
<A href="index.html#toc">Contents</A>; <A href="ch13.html">next</A>; <A href="ch-search.html">back</A>.
<br>
<address>15 June 1999<br>
Jonathan D. Rosenbaum<A href="mailto:mttrader@access.mountain.net">mttrader@access.mountain.net</A></address>
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