[NTLUG:Discuss] Swap versus paging

[Leroy Tennison]

Chris Cox wrote:
> Leroy Tennison wrote:
>   
>> I was in an interview for a Linux position and was asked if I knew the 
>> difference between paging and swap (I didn't and told them so).  The 
>> reply stated that paging was better.  With Google about all I could find 
>> (first 50 hits) was that there was a difference in scope between 
>> swapping and paging.  Swapping placed whole processes on disk whereas 
>> paging always worked in 4K amounts.  Questions:
>>
>> What's the significance of the question?  Is this something that every 
>> Linux-literate person should know?
>>     
>
> No... not exactly.  It was a test of your historical computer
> knowledge.  It's the stuff you learn perhaps in a college
> setting... or just a good computer history class (or operating
> systems class).
>
>   
>> If it is significant, what are the main things to know?  can someone 
>> point me to a reasonably brief discussion?
>>     
>
> Ch 5 (and Ch 6) of the "dinosaur" book... "Operating System Concepts",
> James L. Peterson, Abraham Silberschatz.  It's pretty detailed
> though.. .a good read....
>
> :)
>
> A classic textbook on operating systems.
>
> I don't know about anything specific online.. first hit
> on google goes to:
> http://learnlinux.tsf.org.za/courses/build/internals/ch05s03.html
>
> It's VERY brief.  Doesn't cover the fragmentation issues associated
> with swapping, only covers a few paging scenarios....
>
> There's probably better web sites out there on the subject.
>
>
>
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>
>   
Thanks for the link, it was probably adequate.