How to Attach a Swap Partition to Linux

Adding a swap partition to a Linux system can help improve its performance by providing extra memory when the RAM is running low. Here's how you can attach a swap partition to Linux:

1. Create a partition for swap: First, you need to create a partition for swap. You can do this using a disk partitioning tool such as fdisk or parted. Make sure the partition is formatted with the Linux swap file system (type 82). Note down the device name for the new swap partition (e.g. /dev/sda2).

2. Create a swap file system: Next, you need to create a swap file system on the new partition using the mkswap command. For example, if the new swap partition is /dev/sda2, you can create the swap file system using the following command:

  ```
  sudo mkswap /dev/sda2
  ```

3. Activate the swap partition: After creating the swap file system, you need to activate the new swap partition using the swapon command. For example, if the new swap partition is /dev/sda2, you can activate it using the following command:

  ```
  sudo swapon /dev/sda2
  ```

4. Make the changes permanent: To make sure that the new swap partition is activated every time the system boots, you need to add an entry to the /etc/fstab file. Open the file using a text editor and add the following line:

  ```
  /dev/sda2   none   swap   sw   0   0
  ```

  Make sure to replace /dev/sda2 with the device name of your swap partition.

That's it! You should now have a swap partition attached to your Linux system. You can check that the swap partition is being used by running the free command, which should show both the amount of RAM and swap memory available.