{"id":805,"date":"2026-04-22T15:54:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T07:54:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/play.datalude.com\/blog\/?p=805"},"modified":"2026-04-22T15:54:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T07:54:08","slug":"increasing-linux-swapfile-with-minimal-disruption-the-swapfile-shuffle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/play.datalude.com\/blog\/2026\/04\/increasing-linux-swapfile-with-minimal-disruption-the-swapfile-shuffle\/","title":{"rendered":"Increasing Linux swapfile with minimal disruption: the swapfile shuffle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Had a server which needed a bit more swap, but the current swap was at 100%, and it was marginal whether there was enough RAM to allow me to delete the current 2G swap and replace it with 4G. So I came up with the \"swapfile shuffle\". <\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code> # Lets see what we've got\nswapon --show\nNAME      TYPE SIZE USED PRIO\n\/swapfile file   2G   2G   -2\n\n# Make a new temp swapfile and turn it on.\nfallocate -l 2G \/swapfile2\nchmod 600 \/swapfile2\nmkswap \/swapfile2\nswapon \/swapfile2\n\n# Check progress\n htop -> 4G of active swap. Memory looks OK. \n \n# Looking good, so now we turn off the original swapfile, resize it and then turn it on\nswapoff \/swapfile\nfallocate -l 4G \/swapfile\nchmod 600 \/swapfile\nmkswap \/swapfile\nswapon \/swapfile\n\n# Check again. \nhtop -> Whoo, now have 6Gb swap\n\n# Now can disable the temp swapfile \nswapoff \/swapfile2 \nrm \/swapfile2\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All good. Happy server. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Had a server which needed a bit more swap, but the current swap was at 100%, and it was marginal whether there was enough RAM to allow me to delete the current 2G swap and replace it with 4G. So I came up with the \"swapfile shuffle\". All good. Happy server.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"{\"document\":\"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