why the spontaneous CD activity?

[redss]

Running knoppix 3.3 live CD, sometimes when browsing simple webpages with konqueror, the CD rom will start spinning.

Is there a way for me to find out what files knoppix is seeking on the CD?

I'd like to get all those necessary files cached into RAM so that no CD activity would be necessary for surfing! (I don't have enough RAM to use the TORAM cheatcode)

thanks!

[CrashedAgain]

Running knoppix 3.3 live CD, sometimes when browsing simple webpages with konqueror, the CD rom will start spinning.

Is there a way for me to find out what files knoppix is seeking on the CD?

I'd like to get all those necessary files cached into RAM so that no CD activity would be necessary for surfing! (I don't have enough RAM to use the TORAM cheatcode)

thanks!

Can't be done. When running from CD, Knoppix is going to have to access the CD for bits of code it needs & there is no way you or it can predict what these might be.
You could use a swap file to reduce the amount of CD access required, Knoppix contains a utility for creating a swap file on a DOS system.
Or you could do a 'toHD' install which essentially copies the CD to HD & runs it from there (requires about 700MB but does not require you to partition your HD). Normally this is booted from a floppy but you can install Lilo & set it up to boot from the HD.
Or you could partition the HD & do a full HD install. This has the advantage that you can then add, remove & upgrade packages & you system setups don't have the be redone from defaults after each boot.

[redss]

thanks for the reply. Does knoppix' utility for creating a swap file mean that files that are retrieved are kept in swap for future use? I'm not using a harddrive, so what about creating a swap file in RAM (can that be done? )

I'd love to cache the files that otherwise would be read from CD.

[Cuddles]

thanks for the reply. Does knoppix' utility for creating a swap file mean that files that are retrieved are kept in swap for future use? I'm not using a harddrive, so what about creating a swap file in RAM (can that be done? )

I'd love to cache the files that otherwise would be read from CD.

Hmmmm, multi-questions, lets break them down, and answer them individually, ok ?


Does knoppix' utility for creating a swap file mean that files that are retrieved are kept in swap for future use?

Answer: Yes, but, ( always a "but" in any answer :) ), the swap file is not maintained between reboots and shutdowns - thus - if you have everything stored in a swap file, and reboot, the swap file is "flushed" of all its contents on the return to Knoppix.


I'm not using a harddrive, so what about creating a swap file in RAM (can that be done? )

Answer: No hard drive, I don't think so, since the Operating System is ALSO in RAM, including the /temp folder, creating a "swap" file in RAM would just leave you less memory for the Operating System. This would, in effect, cause Knoppix to go into a loop - example below:

OS uses all of RAM, and pokes at CD-ROM for updated needs...
OS, with less memory, and, SWAP using "same" memory - will cause Knoppix to need more SWAP, making you increase the SWAP memory and decreasing OS memory, thus causing Knoppix to need more SWAP, etc, etc, etc...

A "swap", either memory or hard drive, should give you MORE working space, not less. Windows, and Knoppix, in fact, most Operating Systems, create a "swap" on a physical hard drive, to help when memory gets used up. This practice, creates more memory than what you really have, and thus, is the reason why it is called "swap" - because the OS "swaps" memory out to the swap area when it is not in use, but is still needed.

If you create a "swap" in memory, it defeats the purpose of the swap in the first place = create more memory than you really have.

If you don't, or can't, get a hard drive for the swap, I would suggest "beefing" up your memory on your system. The more memory you have, the more Knoppix can use to store what it needs, and possibly, not need to keep "pulling" off the CD-ROM everytime. (my best suggestion under the gun...)

Hope this helps,
Ms. Cuddles

[redss]

Thanks for your reply!

I'm not interested in using a harddrive for swapfile, since (to me) the beauty of knoppix is that a system with no mechanical parts can be left on indefinitely without worry of the harddrive eventually crashing.

Besides, I have a plenty of RAM, but not enough for the TOHD cheatcode. So my goal is to figure out how to cache (into ram) the more commonly needed files (anything konqueror would need), in order to cut down on the CDROM access.

Ideas anyone?

[OErjan]

there is a toram cheatcode, that "moves" the cdimage to ram. but if you have less than 1Gb ram it is not recomended...
i have tried it on a friends computer (1.5G ram) WOW, talk about FAST!

[redss]

My mistake, I meant to say I don't have enough RAM for the TORAM cheatcode, not the TOHD cheatcode.

[redss]

What we need is a "PARTIALLYTORAM" cheatcode which would only copy preselected files/directory structures to ram, since few people have enough ram for the complete CD to be copied there!

Since theres no cheatcode to do that, maybe some utility that would tell knoppix to look in ram instead of CD for certain filepaths???