Linux Notepad

Disable and Remove Swap in Ubuntu

This guide explains how to completely disable and remove swap space from Ubuntu and other Debian-based Linux systems.
These instructions cover both swap partitions and swap files.

Before proceeding with swap removal, you should verify your current swap usage:

free -h
swapon --show

This setup was tested on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, but it should work on other Debian-based systems.

Quick Removal Commands

For immediate swap deactivation, use one of these commands depending on your swap type:

For swap partition:

sudo swapoff /dev/sdb1  # Replace with your swap partition

For swap file:

sudo swapoff /swapfile
sudo rm /swapfile

Complete Removal Process

To thoroughly remove swap and prevent it from being reactivated on boot, follow these steps:

1. Identify active swap spaces

swapon --show

Example output:

NAME      TYPE       SIZE USED PRIO
/dev/sdb1 partition 14.9G 3.7M   -2

2. Disable active swap

For swap partition:

sudo swapoff /dev/sdb1  # Replace with your swap partition

For swap file:

sudo swapoff /swapfile
sudo rm /swapfile

3. Remove swap entry from /etc/fstab

Edit the fstab file:

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Find and comment out the swap entry by adding # at the beginning:

# UUID=606c8e0e-f961-495b-98a4-1034ad079341 none swap defaults 0 0

or

# /swapfile none swap sw 0 0

4. Verify removal

Check that swap is no longer active:

free -h
swapon --show

These commands should show no active swap space if the removal was successful.

Additional Notes

  • Always ensure you have sufficient RAM before disabling swap
  • Consider these scenarios where removing swap might be beneficial:
    • Systems running from SD cards with limited write cycles
    • Production systems booting from read-only storage
    • Temporary removal for swap resizing or type conversion
  • Some systems might require swap for hibernation to work
  • Consider reducing swappiness instead of completely removing swap

The swap removal process is reversible - you can always recreate a swap partition or file later if needed.

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