term% cat index.txt SWAPON(8) System Manager's Manual SWAPON(8)
NAME
swapon - specify paging/swapping device
SYNOPSIS
/etc/swapon -a
/etc/swapon name ...
DESCRIPTION
Swapon is used to specify additional devices on which paging and swap‐
ping are to take place. The system begins by swapping and paging on a
single device so that only one disk is required at bootstrap time.
Calls to swapon normally occur in the system multi-user initialization
file rc(8) making all swap devices available, so that the paging and
swapping activity is interleaved across several devices.
Normally, the -a argument is given, causing all devices marked as
``sw'' swap devices in /etc/fstab to be made available.
The second form gives individual block devices as given in the system
swap configuration table. The call makes only this space available to
the system for swap allocation.
SEE ALSO
init(8)
FILES
/dev/ra?1 normal paging devices
BUGS
There is no way to stop paging and swapping on a device. It is there‐
fore not possible to make use of devices which may be dismounted during
system operation.
SWAPON(8)