View Source: Tmpfs - Waikato Linux Users Group

Edit PageHistory Diff Info LikePages

A FileSystem that lives entirely in the [Kernel]'s filesystem [Cache] in order to offer greatly accelerated access times to its contents. Unlike a [RamDisk] it does not simulate a block device, and can therefore grow and shrink as needed to accommodate the files it hosts. Of course, files stored on in-memory FileSystems like RamDisk~s or a [Tmpfs] vanish when the system shuts down.

Any partition that will have many, frequently accessed, small files which do not require permanent storage is a good candidate for [Tmpfs]. Of all the directories in the FileSystemHierarchy, <tt>/tmp</tt> is the canonical candidate. Because [Tmpfs] only takes up as much space as needed, putting <tt>/tmp</tt> on a [Tmpfs] tends to reduce the memory available to other processes by only a negligible amount on modern machines equipped with large amounts of [RAM].

!! See also

* [Introducing initramfs, a new model for initial RAM disks | http://linuxdevices.com/articles/AT4017834659.html] – explains how tmpfs and several other in-memory FileSystems relate to each other

-----
Part of CategoryFileSystem and CategoryOtherFileSystem

2 pages link to Tmpfs:

Last edited on Friday, October 19, 2007 4:47:55 pm by AristotlePagaltzis

Edit PageHistory Diff Info LikePages