[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Debian Graphical Installer: why does it format swap?



On Mi, 08 ian 20, 20:48:53, Linux-Fan wrote:
> 
> * A single swap partition from other (actively used or not) installations.
>   In this case, changing the UUID _breaks_ all other installations at the
>   expense of the new installation. I agree that sharing a swap space is
>   bad with suspend-to-disk scenarios in general. Yet I think that not
>   reformatting and actually sharing the swap between multiple installations
>   works in two (very common?) scenarios:
>   (1) No suspend to disk used
>   (2) Resumption after suspend to disk always happens for the "correct"
>   Linux installation even if multiple ones are present. I am not exactly
>   sure how suspend to disk behaves (as I did not use it since I switched
>   to Linux...), but I remember that on Windows it would bypass the regular
>   BIOS screens and directly resume the OS.

As far as I know / recall this is suspend-to-ram behaviour, 
suspend-to-disk must go through the normal hardware initialisation (BIOS 
or whatever is the equivalent on the given platform) because the system 
is powered off.

>   Hence, is the chance that the
>   "wrong" sytstem is resumed (causing all kinds of havoc) so high actually?

If my recollection is correct, then yes.

> * Multiple swap partitions.
> 
> My proposal would be as follows:
> 
> * If a swap partition is already present, do not use it by default.
>   As some people always point out: Today, there are a lot of users not
>   needing/wanting any swap.

It's safe to use only if the user never suspends to disk, or takes care 
to always choose the suspended installation at boot.

> * If the user selects the existing partition (i.e. not created in this
>   installer session) for "use as: swap", then the installer gives a dialog
>   with this text (or similar in better English...):
> 
> | You have selected a previously existent swap partition to be used for
> | swap.
> |
> | While this is tecnically possible without reformatting, sharing swap
> | between multiple Linux installations (Debian or not) is explicitly
> | advised against (see <<<URL>>> for details).

So this should be something like this then:

  | Warning: sharing swap between multiple Linux installations is not
  | recommended, unless you never use suspend-to-disk (also known as
  | "hibernation").

(URLs are probably not such a good idea in the installer screens, 
because one can't click on them, assuming they have internet access at 
all, even on other devices.)

> | Format this swap?
> |
> | [YES, Format Swap]  [NO, Use existing UUID]
 
Kind regards,
Andrei
-- 
http://wiki.debian.org/FAQsFromDebianUser

Attachment: signature.asc
Description: PGP signature


Reply to: