/proc & /etc and flash life

[cAPSLOCK]

One little paranoia that has kept some from trying to put swap on flash memory: that this will wear out the memory fairly quickly --- has always been at the back of my mind in general about the unit.

What is done with the /proc and /tmp directories? If they are stored in the devices onboard flash and being written to as often as they are on a regular linux system does it pose any threat to the devices life?

Would it make more sense to mount these directories in ram?

Am I too worried?

cAPS

[gnuite]

/proc is a virtual file system, so it doesn't actually reside on the internal flash memory and thus cannot cause wear. All the information in /proc is stored in the kernel's RAM and is called upon directly in response to file system queries. For example, if someone tries to "cat /proc/cpuinfo", the kernel doesn't physically read some file on the flash - it just gives the calling process the data as if it were a file, but the data iself is generated dynamically by the kernel.

/tmp is easier to explain - your intuitions are correct, and /tmp is actually mounted in RAM as a tmpfs.

[cAPSLOCK]

Well I am glad it was all done right.

Still the flash memory on the device is going to take a pounding over time, even moreso than most PDAs and of course more than cell phones.

Only timw will tell how it holkds up I guess.

[Milhouse]

Still the flash memory on the device is going to take a pounding over time, even moreso than most PDAs and of course more than cell phones.

Only timw will tell how it holkds up I guess.

Not sure I'm with you here - why do you come this conclusion? I can't see the flash in the 770 being updated more anywhere near as often as a typical USB pen drive, and these are guaranteed for many years.

Sure, when I reflash it will be updated - done that 3 times in the last 4 months - and when I install apps - done that maybe 15 times in 4 months. All in all, a pretty low number of writes to the internal flash (which I assume has wear levelling) and I expect it to last for many years - certainly outlasting the 770 device itself.

My 1GB RS-MMC flash will take more of a pounding than the internal flash, as I keep deleting and copying over new music files to carry around.

Likewise I've reformatted my 1GB USB pen drive 5 times, and copied several thousand files on to it in the last 9 months.

[Hedgecore]

He's talking about creating a swap partition though... And knowing how much RAM this thing has... ;)

[thedarksavant]

Well I am glad it was all done right.

Still the flash memory on the device is going to take a pounding over time, even moreso than most PDAs and of course more than cell phones.

Only timw will tell how it holkds up I guess.

IMHO, my desire for the next generation tablet will be the reason I replace my current one, and that will be well before the flash wears out.

If not, there's always brain surgery ;)

One could also mount the most active filesystems on the mmc.

[Milhouse]

He's talking about creating a swap partition though... And knowing how much RAM this thing has... ;)

Sorry - my bad, I thought cAPSLOCK was referring to the internal flash when he said "Still the flash memory on the device is going to take a pounding over time, even moreso than most PDAs and of course more than cell phones."

By referring to the memory "on" the device I assumed he meant internal flash.

:)