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To increase swap on an Ubuntu VPS, either replace the existing /swapfile with a larger, non-sparse file or add a second swap file. For a typical 4 GiB replacement, inspect the active configuration, run swapoff, recreate the file with dd, secure it with mode 600, initialize it with mkswap, enable it with swapon, and keep one matching entry in /etc/fstab.
Swap uses VPS disk space as overflow for memory; it does not increase physical RAM. Check free disk capacity and current memory pressure first, then verify the active total with swapon --show, cat /proc/swaps, and free -h.
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Linux uses swap as a backed-up memory area when RAM is under pressure. A swap file is stored on the VPS filesystem, while a swap partition is a dedicated block-device area. Both can be activated by swapon; mkswap can initialize either a file or a device.
More swap can prevent an application from being killed immediately during a short memory spike, and it gives the kernel more room to page out less-active memory. It is much slower than RAM, however. If the machine is continuously swapping, increasing the file may only postpone an underlying need for more RAM, fewer processes, or more storage.
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A larger file also consumes persistent disk capacity. Leave room for the operating system, logs, package updates, databases, and application data. Check both memory and disk before making a change:
free -h
df -h
swapon --show
The commands below assume Ubuntu, root access through sudo, an existing file at /swapfile, and a target size of 4 GiB. A 4 GiB file is 4096 MiB, so the example uses count=4096 with bs=1M. Adjust the count only after confirming the desired size and available disk space.
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Do not assume that the file is named /swapfile or that it is the only active swap area. Run all four checks as an administrator:
free -h
swapon --show
cat /proc/swaps
grep -nE 'sswaps' /etc/fstab
free -hreports total, used, and available RAM and swap in human-readable units.swapon --showlists every currently enabled swap area, its type, size, and usage.cat /proc/swapsconfirms what the running kernel has activated.- The
/etc/fstabsearch finds boot-time entries whose filesystem type isswap.
Record the exact active path. If the output shows a partition such as /dev/vda3 rather than a file, follow the partition guidance below instead of deleting an unrelated file. If several files or devices are listed, decide whether you want to enlarge one area or intentionally maintain multiple areas.
Also check that the target filesystem has enough free space:
df -h /Creating a 4 GiB file requires at least that much usable space, plus operational headroom. A nearly full VPS can fail during file creation or leave no room for normal services.
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Choose between replacing the file and adding another one
| Approach | What changes | Main advantage | Main risk or cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replace the existing file | Disable and remove the old file, then create one larger file at the same path | Leaves one simple swap area and one persistent /etc/fstab line |
swapoff temporarily removes that capacity and may fail if RAM cannot hold the paged-out data |
| Add a second file | Keep the current file active and create a distinct path such as /swapfile2 |
Avoids taking the original area out of service during creation | Consumes additional disk and leaves multiple active areas and persistent entries to manage |
Replacement is usually the cleanest result when the VPS has enough free RAM to turn swap off. Adding a second file is a practical alternative when removing the existing area would create unacceptable memory pressure or a long interruption. Neither option adds physical RAM or changes the VPS provider’s underlying allocation.
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Replace an existing /swapfile with a larger file
1. Confirm the file is active and can be taken offline
Use the inspection commands first. If swapon --show lists /swapfile, disable that exact path before deleting it:
sudo swapoff /swapfileswapoff must move any pages currently stored there back into RAM or another active swap area. If it reports insufficient memory, do not force the operation. Stop or scale down memory-heavy services, add a second swap file first, or schedule the replacement during a lower-load period.
2. Remove the old file
sudo rm -f /swapfileOnly remove the file after swapoff succeeds. If the active path differs, substitute the path you recorded; never delete a file merely because its name resembles a swap file.
3. Allocate a non-sparse 4 GiB file
sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/swapfile bs=1M count=4096 status=progressThis writes 4096 MiB of zeroes and displays progress. Ubuntu’s swapon(8) documentation identifies dd with /dev/zero as the most portable way to create a swap file. The write also avoids holes—unallocated ranges inside a nominally large file—that swapon rejects.
Wait for dd to finish and check for errors. If it stops with “No space left on device,” remove the incomplete, inactive file, free disk space, and retry with a size the filesystem can accommodate:
sudo rm -f /swapfile
df -h /4. Secure and initialize the file
sudo chmod 600 /swapfile
sudo mkswap /swapfileMode 600 allows only root to read or write the file. mkswap writes the swap-area signature and metadata. It does not activate the area; as the mkswap(8) documentation states, the separate swapon command is required to start using it.
5. Enable the new area immediately
sudo swapon /swapfileIf this command succeeds, the kernel can use the new file without a reboot. Confirm its size and status before editing boot configuration:
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swapon --show
cat /proc/swaps
free -h6. Make the setting survive reboot
Open the file as root:
sudoedit /etc/fstabEnsure it contains one line for this swap file:
/swapfile none swap sw 0 0Remove an obsolete line for the old path and eliminate duplicate lines for /swapfile. The entry tells Ubuntu to activate the file at boot. Save the file, then check it again:
grep -nE 'sswaps' /etc/fstabThere should be exactly one persistent line for each swap area you intend to keep. The system may currently be working even with a missing or duplicated line, so this check prevents the next reboot from exposing a configuration error.
Add a second swap file instead
Adding a second area keeps the original swap file active. Use a distinct path and choose a size that fits the available disk; the example creates 2 GiB (2048 MiB) at /swapfile2.
1. Create, protect, format, and enable it
sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/swapfile2 bs=1M count=2048 status=progress
sudo chmod 600 /swapfile2
sudo mkswap /swapfile2
sudo swapon /swapfile2As with a replacement, use a fully allocated file. Do not use a method that leaves holes, and do not skip the mode-600 permission.
2. Add one boot-time entry
printf '/swapfile2 none swap sw 0 0n' | sudo tee -a /etc/fstabBefore appending, inspect /etc/fstab so you do not add the same line twice. Then verify both active areas:
swapon --show
cat /proc/swaps
free -h
grep -nE 'sswaps' /etc/fstabMultiple swap areas are supported. The kernel manages them according to its normal swap policy; the total shown by free -h is the combined capacity.
Verify the result and test persistence
Use all three runtime checks after either method:
swapon --show
cat /proc/swaps
free -hswapon --showshould list the intended path and the expected size.cat /proc/swapsshould show the same active areas from the kernel’s perspective.free -hshould report the increased total swap capacity.
Check the on-disk configuration separately:
grep -nE 'sswaps' /etc/fstabKeep one valid line per intended area. A reboot test is optional operational validation, but it is the strongest way to confirm boot-time activation. Before rebooting, ensure you have console or recovery access in case a malformed /etc/fstab entry prevents normal startup. After the VPS returns, run the same three runtime checks and inspect /etc/fstab again.
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A larger total does not mean the kernel will immediately fill it. Swap usage depends on memory demand and kernel policy; an unused area can still be correctly configured.
Filesystem and VPS caveats
Do not create a file with holes
The Ubuntu swapon(8) manpage warns: “You should not use swapon on a file with holes.” A sparse file can appear to have the requested size while not reserving all of its blocks. When the kernel attempts to use an unallocated range, activation may fail or the file may not provide the reliability expected of swap.
The same documentation calls dd and /dev/zero the most portable creation method. Tools such as fallocate can behave differently on ext4, XFS, and copy-on-write filesystems. Ubuntu’s documentation also identifies additional requirements for Btrfs. If the VPS uses Btrfs or another copy-on-write filesystem, follow that filesystem’s documented swap-file requirements rather than assuming a command that works on ext4 will work identically there.
Leave disk headroom
A swap file is ordinary disk consumption from the VPS quota. Monitor the filesystem after creation and keep capacity for logs, package operations, temporary files, and application writes. A host with ample swap but no free space can still fail critical services.
Understand performance limits
Swap is slower than RAM and may share the same virtual disk as your application. Heavy swapping can increase I/O latency and reduce application responsiveness. Treat the new capacity as protection against occasional pressure, not as a substitute for sizing the VPS with adequate RAM.
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If swapon --show lists a device rather than a file, mkswap can initialize that device and swapon can activate it. The persistent /etc/fstab entry must reference the device path or its configured identifier, not /swapfile.
Expanding an existing partition generally requires changing the partition layout or obtaining additional capacity from the VPS provider. That work can involve provider controls, a recovery environment, backups, and filesystem-specific steps. When free filesystem space is available, creating a new swap file is usually the simpler operational route. Do not overwrite a partition or device unless you have positively identified it as swap and have a recovery plan.
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Swappiness is a separate decision
Swap size and swap preference are different settings. Ubuntu’s Swap FAQ records a default swappiness value of 60. Increasing the file does not require changing that value, and a larger area does not automatically justify a different one.
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Observe memory use and I/O behavior before tuning. A temporary change can be made with sysctl; a deliberate setting should be recorded in an appropriate file under /etc/sysctl.d/ so its purpose is clear and it can be managed consistently. Change one variable at a time and watch application latency, swap-in and swap-out activity, and available memory. If the workload is stable with the default, leave it unchanged.
Troubleshoot common failures
swapoff says there is not enough memory
The active file contains pages that cannot all fit back into RAM or another swap area. Stop nonessential services, reduce workload, or add and activate a second swap file before attempting to remove the original. Do not delete an active file without a successful swapoff.
swapon reports “Invalid argument” or refuses the file
- Confirm that
mkswap /swapfilecompleted successfully. - Check that the file is fully allocated; recreate it with
dd if=/dev/zeroif a sparse or hole-filled file was used. - Verify the filesystem’s rules, especially on Btrfs or other copy-on-write filesystems.
- Check the file path and permissions with
ls -l /swapfile; mode should be 600 and ownership should be root.
The new capacity disappears after reboot
The runtime activation worked, but boot configuration did not. Confirm the exact path and the line /swapfile none swap sw 0 0 (or the corresponding second-file line) in /etc/fstab. Remove typos and duplicate or stale entries, then run swapon --show after reboot.
dd stops with “No space left on device”
Check df -h, remove an inactive incomplete file, and choose a smaller target or add disk capacity. Do not consume the last free blocks merely to reach a nominal swap size.
free -h shows little or no swap in use
That is not necessarily an error. The command reports total and current usage; Linux uses swap only when its memory policy and workload require it. Use swapon --show and /proc/swaps to verify activation independently of current utilization.
When an additional file is no longer needed, disable it before deleting it and remove its persistent entry: Delete only the Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.sudo swapoff /swapfile2
sudo rm /swapfile2
sudoedit /etc/fstab/swapfile2 line, save the file, and verify with swapon --show. The same order—disable, delete, then clean /etc/fstab—prevents boot configuration from pointing at a file that no longer exists.Quick Recap
Final operational checklist
swapon --show; do not guess the filename.free -h and df -h.swapoff before removing the old file.dd, not a hole-filled sparse file.chmod 600, then mkswap, then swapon./etc/fstab line per intended swap area.swapon --show, cat /proc/swaps, and free -h.swappiness tuning separately from changing capacity.
