How to configure additional swap space?

[Stefan Brandle]

In article <1990May24.220458.13891 at evax.arl.utexas.edu> bush at evax.arl.utexas.edu (Joe Bush) writes:
>	Now heres the problem: I then attempted to execute the
>"swapon -a" command (or /etc/rc does) to make the space available to
>the system, but getting the following error:
>
>		# swapon -a
>		Adding /dev/ra1b as swap device
>		/dev/ra1b: No such device
>		Adding /dev/ra2b as swap device
>		/dev/ra2b: No such device

Certain things somehow lock devices so that once it is in use, any further
attempt to access that device gives the above message.  I had the same message
when playing around with additional swap space.  I've also seen it when playing
with the tape unit (/dev/rmt0h & Co.).  My guess is that something in the
kernel already has your swap devices open in an exclusive mode and any further
references give the somewhat misleading message about `no such device' when it
might be better to spit out `device locked' or something like that.

On the other hand, I'm speaking from intuition, not knowledge, so maybe
somebody should correct what I just said.

-stefan
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