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TouchOdeath

Member

Registered: 2019-01-22

Posts: 4  

How to properly install and use Zram

sudo apt-get install zram-config

sudo apt-get install zram-tools

The commands above don't work.  Open up Synaptic, type zram, you get nothing.  Its not in the backports either.  So my question is:  How do you properly implement a zram swap?

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,581  

Re: How to properly install and use Zram

Hello:

zram is only available for beowolf and ceres:

https://pkginfo.devuan.org/stage/beowul … 8.1-4.html
https://pkginfo.devuan.org/stage/beowul … 2.1-1.html
https://pkginfo.devuan.org/stage/ceres/ … 8.2-1.html
https://pkginfo.devuan.org/stage/ceres/ … 2.1-1.html

See also https://wiki.debian.org/ZRam

Cheers,

A.

TouchOdeath

Member

Registered: 2019-01-22

Posts: 4  

Re: How to properly install and use Zram

Thank you sir for the quick reply, I guess that concludes this thread.

JSM

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Registered: 2021-05-18

Posts: 36  

Website

Re: How to properly install and use Zram

I come back to this older post.

https://wiki.debian.org/ZRam

I installed zram-tool and made the settings in /etc/default/zramswap. But it doesn't work yet, because zram is not created. I then tried to add it to autostart. But I don't know which command to enter, resp. where the executable script is. Or do I have to do something else?

I would also like the zram with lz4, if possible, or with an even better algorithm.

Is there any other method than zram-tool to get a zram from boot on Devuan?

dice

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Registered: 2020-11-22

Posts: 559  

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Re: How to properly install and use Zram

I come back to this older post.

https://wiki.debian.org/ZRam

I installed zram-tool and made the settings in /etc/default/zramswap. But it doesn't work yet, because zram is not created. I then tried to add it to autostart. But I don't know which command to enter, resp. where the executable script is. Or do I have to do something else?

I would also like the zram with lz4, if possible, or with an even better algorithm.

Is there any other method than zram-tool to get a zram from boot on Devuan?

That link says to copy the script kindly posted here https://wiki.debian.org/ZRam for systems using sysvinit to /etc/init.d/zram, are you using sysvinit?

You can clearly see that an edit can be made to /etc/default/zramswap to allow for a differnt algo.

Last edited by dice (2021-06-02 13:38:56)

JSM

Member

Registered: 2021-05-18

Posts: 36  

Website

Re: How to properly install and use Zram

@dice

Yes, I can see this, but I don't know, if I use sysvinit . I not even know what it is!

I think I have the problem, that zram is not getting started on boot. If I understand the article right, then the script is just a option.

But ok, my Devuan works very well without zram, so for the moment is not priotity 1.

Last edited by JSM (2021-06-03 00:52:38)

dice

Member

Registered: 2020-11-22

Posts: 559  

Website

Re: How to properly install and use Zram

@dice

Yes, I can see this, but I don't know, if I use sysvinit . I not even know what it is!

I think I have the problem, that zram is not getting started on boot. If I understand the article right, then the script is just a option.

But ok, my Devuan works very well without zram, so for the moment is not priotity 1.

SysV-based init system is sysvinit just spelled in another way.

See what below command tells you, if you indeed have an SysV-based init system it will tell you.

file /sbin/init

The problem you are having is PEBCAK.

Last edited by dice (2021-06-03 12:45:45)

JSM

Member

Registered: 2021-05-18

Posts: 36  

Website

Re: How to properly install and use Zram

@dice

Thank you

devuan@devuan:~$ file /sbin/init
/sbin/init: ELF 64-bit LSB pie executable, x86-64, version 1 (SYSV), dynamically linked, interpreter /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2, for GNU/Linux 3.2.0, BuildID[sha1]=cee8c52c8342bc4baa56587c88766076226f9aaa, stripped
devuan@devuan:~$

So not? Oh yes: version 1 (SYSV) !

Yes, PEBCAK is mostly my problem . Not just mine, but that of millions of computer users as well. I'm learning about 4 distributions for old hardware: Devuan, antiX, TinyCore and soon also Fedora CoreOS. What for? Because I want to create a website with exact instructions for installation and configuration ... for users with PEBCAK! So I have to install and test all 4 distributions on my notebook so that I know all the problems that may arise. Once I have done it, I have to do it all a second time, with a Spanish installation, because I'm in Argentina! My Spanish is not very good so I need to understand exactly how everything works first or I won't find anything in the Spanish installation. And then I have to figure out how to take screenshots during the installation. The simplest is probably an iPhone, but I don't have one

Last edited by JSM (2021-06-03 14:55:47)

dice

Member

Registered: 2020-11-22

Posts: 559  

Website

Re: How to properly install and use Zram

You have quite the task ahead of you. Good luck and Godspeed!

aitor

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From: basque country

Registered: 2016-12-03

Posts: 230  

Website

Re: How to properly install and use Zram

And then I have to figure out how to take screenshots during the installation. The simplest is probably an iPhone, but I don't have one

Debian-installer in graphical mode gives you the option to take screenshots during the installation.

---

If you work systematically, things will come by itself (Lev D. Landau)

ralph.ronnquist

Administrator

From: Battery Point, Tasmania, AUS

Registered: 2016-11-30

Posts: 1,251  

Re: How to properly install and use Zram

There is a program and package fbcat for grabbing the frame buffer into ppm format. You'd need to arrange for that to be  available to the installer and run regularly to screenshotting.

E.g., set up a special USB stick that holds that program and has space to hold the succession of snapshots. Then, at the very first dialogue you shift over to VT2 to mount that USB and start the regular repeated snapshotting (example below), and then you shift back to VT1 and continue.  Making a snapshot every 5 seconds gather 12 snapshots a minute, each being (I think) ${number of pixels}x4 bytes in size, typically < 1Mb each. I.e. 1 Gb space handles about an hour of 5-second snapshots.

while sleep 5 ; do fbcat /dev/fb0 > snap-$(date +%s) ; done

Note that this would be for screenshotting the linux frame buffer. The "graphical mode" installers run tthisheir X servers which hold their screen images in memory (without using the linux frame buffer(s)), so screenshotting them is slightly different.

JSM

Member

Registered: 2021-05-18

Posts: 36  

Website

Re: How to properly install and use Zram

Thank you for all the tips! Yes, there is some work to do, but I have also time, because Devuan will come with a new version and antiX has it since some days...so I can wait a little until the new versions are officialy stable. In this time I can test Fedora CoreOS. With TinyCore I am still on the way, step by step. I think that Devuan ist the best option for a normal user with just 1GB Ram. AntiX is also ok, but not so comfortable in settings, sometimes you have to edit direktly the file. That's making normal user afraid, I think. Fedora I don't know now, but if it is, was I think, then it must be a simple installation and then the conection to the Red Hat server. TinyCore I would just use for very special cases with really old hardware.

And as I am not involved in the "systemd-war" I will also make some links to other distry like Bodhi, Q4OS, Lununtu. Anyway they are running a bit slowlyer then the systemd free ones. And there are some more small ones, Void...etc.

Today I thout, that I will now set up the website first to see, what information I really need. I will also have to show, how to find out what hardware one have (64/32 bit, Ram size, disk size). Not every user will know where to find it on a windows OS. Then it needs something about download the ISO and move it on USB stick or a CD. Then about making a swapfile and set the swapiness. Change the browser and make the settings. Configurate the desktop, move away the icons that you don't need and so on. Yes, a lot of details. But I will have to make a line and just give the important information in order the installation is running stable and "fast". The rest they will find then, after a while on the forums.

I will call it : "LinuxChico" or just "LinuC". Chico is spanish and means small, but also boy.

And then I will have to find some people that would like to take it over an go on with it, because I have 53. The vision is, that LinuC will have a network of helpers in all the world, that even going to visit a user and help him to set the Distry up. There are so many people >60 that could do this!