Re: [LUG] Solid State Drive

From: steven.tremayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2014 09:18:29 +0000
Subject: Re: [LUG] Solid State Drive - first time

I’m in the process of setting up Mint 17 on an SSD for my fiancée’s laptop

I found the following site mentioned reserving some unallocated space for the SSD:

https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/ssd

(See Step 5)

They vary between 5% and 25%

I’m not quite sure by the statement “I won't explain it here, but it boils down to not formatting a part of the SSD, which then remains unallocated space (unused capacity)“

So, is this a similar mechanism like SMART, whereby any bad sectors are swapped out with “spare” ones? Only this seems a little more manualmatic … I do not like mystical rumours (when it comes to technology) as some potentially good willed reasons get lost in the mists of time (approx 6 months in the technology world) resulting in bad voodoo.

So, on a 60GB SSD we should reserve upto 15GB? Fifteen Gig?! Really?

REALLY?!

No no no, you definitely DON'T want to do that...

NAND is over-provisioned on SSDs, so when you buy a "120"Gb version it really does have (at least) 128Gb available as you'd expect, it's just that the wear levelling mechanisms have a significant little chunk set aside to work their magic on (this is what the discard/TRIM stuff is actually doing in the first place).

I can't believe you guys are all so bewildered by simple, mature technology!

This isn't rocket science people *bangs head on table*

bad apple's official guide for how to stop worrying and love solid state storage:

1: buy and install SSD in PC

2: if using linux, set "discard" in fstab for the correct device

3: set noatime as well if desired

4: reboot or remount /

5: stop reading stupid crap on the internet about how to not configure SSDs

6: stop posting stupid crap on the list about how to not configure SSDs

7: ignore stupid ubuntu advice about cron jobs to run TRIM

8: ignore every other single stupid thing you've ever heard about SSDs

9: PROFIT

It really is 100% set and forget at this point. Just one fstab edit, and you're done.

Please please please no more wrong headed SSD posts for a while now.

Regards