Unexpected downside of 16GB RAM: sleepimage file

[ggabriele3]

I configured my rMBP with 16GB of RAM and 256GB HD.
Since I use various cloud services and a 64GB MicroSD for storage, I configured boot camp to give 192GB to Windows (for gaming) and 60GB to OSX. With the MicroSD, that would give 124GB to OSX.

The unexpected downside of the 16GB of RAM is that the sleepimage file is now, of course, 16GB. That's a lot of space used, despite the fact that it's very rare that that much memory is ever actually in use.

I suppose this is a good cautionary tale for anyone with a similar configuration who is thinking of giving OSX a small amount of storage.

 

[playsontheleft]

You can stop the machine from making a sleepimage if it's really eating up too much space for you. I don't remember the method right now, but I could dig it up for you.

 

[jasonvp]

The unexpected downside of the 16GB of RAM is that the sleepimage file is now, of course, 16GB. That's a lot of space used, despite the fact that it's very rare that that much memory is ever actually in use.

One solution to that is to just disable that silly "Safe Sleep" mode and then delete the sleepimage file. This means you lose memory context when you put the laptop to sleep but... um.. oh darn?

sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0
sudo rm /var/vm/sleepimage

Done.

jas

 

[ggabriele3]

i'm aware that it can be disabled.

but it's not the kind of thing you'd recommend that anybody/everybody do.