Sleepimage and swap files on Intel Macs - separate partition, fragmentation, and why necessary?, HFS+ generally

[LuKreme]

On 8-Jun-2007, at 01:18, Jim Witte wrote:
> About the about 1GB of compressed sleepImage and swapFile (and  
> other) files that are left in var/vm/ when an Intel mac (at least a  
> MacBook) is put to sleep:  why are they necessary

The swap files are necessary because that is how OS X manages  
memory.  the Imagefile is there so that the machine can be TURNED OFF  
in sleep mode and the contents of RAM restored.  This is called Safe- 
sleep and it is insanely cool.

>   Secondly, could that directory (/var/vm) be sym-linked or hard- 
> linked to a separate partition of say 3-5GB to avoid fragmentation

Yes, but it's pointless.

> (or IS there a frag problem,

Nope.  There really aren't fragmentation issues in OS X period.

-- 
"I used to hate the sun, because it'd shone on everything I'd done.   
Made me feel that all that I had done was overfill the ashtray of my  
life."