We need an SSD maintenance utility
I have installed Ubuntu 12.10 on a solid state disk on my desktop computer.
I know SSDs need periodic maintenance to keep their performance up to their full capability, since I ported Windows 7 to an SSD I installed in my laptop and I use the Intel utility to keep the drive cleaned/trimmed/happy or whatever you call it.
I tried to find out how to do this for my Ubuntu drive but frankly I am not sufficiently experienced in programming to understand and implement the fixes suggested in the forums. I know that the respondents think their answers are helpful but they're just too far above my user level to help.
If Ubuntu wants to appeal to a larger user community, I think this will become a problem area in the future. I always recommend Ubuntu to my friends but I really don't want to have to add a 'but it's not really easy to use it with an SSD'.
Can't we develop an SSD cleanup/tuneup utility program that could be downloaded from the Ubuntu Software Center and used by those of us with low levels of technical expertise? Sure would be helpful to me.
Re: We need an SSD maintenance utility
I think it is a good idea. But the development guys don't spend much time at the Ubuntu Forums. Maybe you have better luck publishing your idea at
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/
Re: We need an SSD maintenance utility
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gonzo74405
I have installed Ubuntu 12.10 on a solid state disk on my desktop computer.
I know SSDs need periodic maintenance to keep their performance up to their full capability, since I ported Windows 7 to an SSD I installed in my laptop and I use the Intel utility to keep the drive cleaned/trimmed/happy or whatever you call it.
I tried to find out how to do this for my Ubuntu drive but frankly I am not sufficiently experienced in programming to understand and implement the fixes suggested in the forums. I know that the respondents think their answers are helpful but they're just too far above my user level to help.
If Ubuntu wants to appeal to a larger user community, I think this will become a problem area in the future. I always recommend Ubuntu to my friends but I really don't want to have to add a 'but it's not really easy to use it with an SSD'.
Can't we develop an SSD cleanup/tuneup utility program that could be downloaded from the Ubuntu Software Center and used by those of us with low levels of technical expertise? Sure would be helpful to me.
if you are using Linux then it will be using Ext3 or 4 or other Linux Filesystem which does not need maintenance like windows does using NTFS, no defragmention is really needed.
As long as you set up your FSTAB to enable TRIM and the like then there is nothing really to do. it only take a few seconds to enter the entries into /etc/fstab and then you pretty good to go.
Re: We need an SSD maintenance utility
Quote:
Originally Posted by
haqking
if you are using Linux then it will be using Ext3 or 4 or other Linux Filesystem which does not need maintenance like windows does using NTFS, no defragmention is really needed.
As long as you set up your FSTAB to enable TRIM and the like then there is nothing really to do. it only take a few seconds to enter the entries into /etc/fstab and then you pretty good to go.
Please explain with an example!
Re: We need an SSD maintenance utility
Edit your /etc/fstab file using the following command:
Code:
gksudo gedit /etc/fstab
And add the discard option to any partitions that live on your SSD, mine looks like this:
Code:
#
# /etc/fstab: static file system information
#
# <file system> <dir> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
LABEL=arch-root / ext4 discard,noatime 0 1
LABEL=arch-home /home ext4 discard,noatime 0 2
LABEL=data /mnt/data ext4 defaults 0 2
LABEL=emulation /mnt/emulation ext4 defaults 0 0
Adding noatime as well will reduce the number of writes to the SSD.
Re: We need an SSD maintenance utility
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sudodus
Please explain with an example!
In addition to cheesemill ninja'in me above.
http://apcmag.com/how-to-maximise-ss...with-linux.htm
http://wiki.freeswitch.org/wiki/SSD_Tuning_for_Linux
an example from my fstab
Code:
UUID=de961735-1d84-4c72-8abe-fefa7b03a708 /SSD2DATA ext4 defaults,noatime,discard,errors=remount-ro
I also place /tmp in ram
Code:
# Place tmp into ram
tmpfs /tmp tmpfs defaults,mode=1777 0 0
Along with a few other options
Re: We need an SSD maintenance utility
I have had a SSD disk for about 6 months now. I have not noticed any slow down or lack of performance. It is just as fast as when I bought it.
My PC is on 24 hours a day, and is only restarted when a update requires it. My SSD is formated in ext4 format.
Cheesemill, what does discard do?
I haven't done any of this, so will my SSD have a shorter lifespan?
Re: We need an SSD maintenance utility
I don't use ubuntu anymore (switched to debian) I have recently figured out this stuff for myself.
Here's my understanding:
TRIM is just a fancy set of rules that the PC will use when you write and erase data. It sounds harder than it actually is. There's a file called /etc/fstab that controls the way your system uses different partitions and you need to change a line of text in that file with a text editor like "gedit" or "nano".
Go to youtube if you want some examples of how trim actually works. Basically, it's nicer about how it erases stuff, minimizing the number of writes to the drive. I recommend it for anyone with an ssd.
Just do what cheesemill said. If you're not sure, just post the text from your /etc/fstab and we can show you what changes to make. Yours might look different from cheesemill's one.
/etc/fstab it very important, so you might want to back it up first with "sudo cp /etc/fstab ~/fstab-backup" in case of mistakes.
I hope you can find what you are looking for, I fully agree that there should be a graphical utility for this in Ubuntu. Admittedly, such problems are what got me enough hands-on experience that I've come to prefer debian even though it's like that all the time.
EDIT: pompel9. I recommend enabling trim. SSD drives have a limited number of writes before they wear out. Also, because modern operating systems keep lots of log files that are updated constantly, I do not recommend leaving it on continuously. This constant writing means that it wears out your PC even when its idling. But, the fast startup time makes it more convenient to just turn it on when you need it. It also saves electricity, lol.
Re: We need an SSD maintenance utility
Thank you :-)
I found the following text about discard in
Code:
discard/nodiscard
Controls whether ext4 should issue discard/TRIM commands to the underlying
block device when blocks are freed. This is useful for SSD devices and
sparse/thinly-provisioned LUNs, but it is off by default until sufficient
testing has been done.
Re: We need an SSD maintenance utility
Thank you for the information sudodus.
I think I will not use that until they have completed the testing. I do not want to damage my SSD.