Comment 38 for bug 1215513

Dan,

My "issue" is with an old, but "supposedly supported" LTS release, 12.0.4 Server. SINCE it's a Server release, it "assumes" I know what I'm doing (even to only setting up in Text mode, and "letting" me only "apt-get install" what I ACTUALLY need to install, which means a working X Server and FVWM. (Be honest, folks! How many of you have run that in the last decade? LOL!)

My situation is different than yours, as I'm running a late, "security fix" for Kernel 3.2. As such, there IS NO software, to run zram0, just some sort of boot code, probably in the Kernel. So /dev/zram0 was "sort of" set up, as it was "defined", but not configured. So bug #1217189 MUST be re-opened, for the older Kernels, and because it adversely affects a LTS release!

I posted a message on 1217189, but here is a capsule summary: /dev/zram0 is set up, so I can do fdisk on it, but no partitions exist, because the bootup code is following MY instructions to only use the Disk SWAP I defined for it. HOWEVER, since the messages come up, it's defined, so the actual RAM to run the server is less. So, what I encountered, when I rebooted it (when I was able to get Stand-alone time on it), let the messages come up, bring up FVWM and some of my heavy resource programs, such as Hercules (IBM Mainframe emulator) and Turnkey MVS, which runs an older, "public domain" (even if IBM doesn't like it, they must "abide by it", because there is no copyright code, like there is in, say, MVS/ESA or z/OS, the heavily protected releases).

My experience was heavy use of the Disk SWAP partition, to the level of Thrashing. So, while these Emulators were running (but slowly), I went into Root (which I do, as a Linux Administrator, even though Ubuntu "frowns on it" and "prefers Sudo"! LOL!) And then, I brought down zram0, using instructions, earlier in this forum. GUESS WHAT? It went back to normal, with all RAM access being IN THE RAM, rather than in SWAP. This test went SO FAST, I was able to reboot again, and go back into production, with two hours to spare. [Pat on back. "At-a-boy", but no raise]. :-)

So, if zram0 is coming up, with the messages, but your systems are not freezing, you may still be getting Performance Hits, instead of only "ugly error messages".

I repeat: Please re-open #1217189, for older kernels, which are getting ZRAM kernel code, even if not trying to define the RamDisks.

Thank you and best regards,

Kenneth Parker, Seattle, WA
 -- I'm a Troubleshooter. I Look for Trouble and Shoot it.
   <Joke told to Seattle Police>Don't worry about the "Shoot it" part.
     I do not own a gun, mainly because I could not hit the
     broad side of a barn!</Joke told to Seattle Police>