Does constant writing to “files” in `/proc` or `/sys` reduce the life of my SSD due to its limited number of writing cycles?
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My laptop has a SSD drive and I run a script which writes every other second to /sys/class/thermal/cooling_device4/cur_state. I don't think this would count as writing to the SSD and thus reducing its remaining number of writing cycles, since procfs and sysfs are virtual filesystems.
Or am I overlooking something and this is an issue?
linux files filesystems proc ssd
asked Dec 8 at 11:29
Jayjayyy
2258
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up vote
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My laptop has a SSD drive and I run a script which writes every other second to /sys/class/thermal/cooling_device4/cur_state. I don't think this would count as writing to the SSD and thus reducing its remaining number of writing cycles, since procfs and sysfs are virtual filesystems.
Or am I overlooking something and this is an issue?
linux files filesystems proc ssd
asked Dec 8 at 11:29
Jayjayyy
2258
1
You are right. Not writing to the SSD doesn't count as writing to the SSD. The same would hold for a RAM drive such astmpfs.
– glglgl
Dec 8 at 12:29
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
My laptop has a SSD drive and I run a script which writes every other second to /sys/class/thermal/cooling_device4/cur_state. I don't think this would count as writing to the SSD and thus reducing its remaining number of writing cycles, since procfs and sysfs are virtual filesystems.
Or am I overlooking something and this is an issue?
linux files filesystems proc ssd
asked Dec 8 at 11:29
Jayjayyy
2258
My laptop has a SSD drive and I run a script which writes every other second to /sys/class/thermal/cooling_device4/cur_state. I don't think this would count as writing to the SSD and thus reducing its remaining number of writing cycles, since procfs and sysfs are virtual filesystems.
Or am I overlooking something and this is an issue?
linux files filesystems proc ssd
linux files filesystems proc ssd
asked Dec 8 at 11:29
Jayjayyy
2258
asked Dec 8 at 11:29
Jayjayyy
2258
asked Dec 8 at 11:29
Jayjayyy
2258
asked Dec 8 at 11:29
Jayjayyy
2258
asked Dec 8 at 11:29
Jayjayyy
2258
2258
1
You are right. Not writing to the SSD doesn't count as writing to the SSD. The same would hold for a RAM drive such astmpfs.
– glglgl
Dec 8 at 12:29
add a comment |
1
You are right. Not writing to the SSD doesn't count as writing to the SSD. The same would hold for a RAM drive such astmpfs.
– glglgl
Dec 8 at 12:29
1
1
You are right. Not writing to the SSD doesn't count as writing to the SSD. The same would hold for a RAM drive such as
tmpfs.– glglgl
Dec 8 at 12:29
You are right. Not writing to the SSD doesn't count as writing to the SSD. The same would hold for a RAM drive such as
tmpfs.– glglgl
Dec 8 at 12:29
add a comment |
1 Answer
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You're entirely correct: virtual filesystems like procfs and sysfs are not stored on disk at all. Their contents are generated on-demand based on kernel data structures in RAM, and writing into them (if possible at all) translates into making changes to in-memory kernel settings.
Writing to procfs or sysfs cannot possibly have any impact to SSD lifetime.
answered Dec 8 at 11:48
telcoM
15.6k12143
But if I'm nit-picking, is that possible writing to /sys control the state of your SSD controller so it will have some impact to the hardware?
– 神秘德里克
Dec 8 at 12:39
1
No, repeated writing to/sys/class/thermal(as the original poster asked) won't have any impact to SSD hardware :-) To have any significant effect, you would have to write into/sys/block/<device name>/and basically deliberately pick the worst possible settings for a SSD. Even so, modern consumer SSDs have plenty of writing cycles and efficient wear leveling: typically the vendors promise that you could write more than a terabyte every day and the SSD would still have the expected lifetime. Of course, sometimes those promises can be mistaken or less than truthful otherwise...
– telcoM
Dec 8 at 12:53
add a comment |
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
6
down vote
accepted
You're entirely correct: virtual filesystems like procfs and sysfs are not stored on disk at all. Their contents are generated on-demand based on kernel data structures in RAM, and writing into them (if possible at all) translates into making changes to in-memory kernel settings.
Writing to procfs or sysfs cannot possibly have any impact to SSD lifetime.
answered Dec 8 at 11:48
telcoM
15.6k12143
But if I'm nit-picking, is that possible writing to /sys control the state of your SSD controller so it will have some impact to the hardware?
– 神秘德里克
Dec 8 at 12:39
1
No, repeated writing to/sys/class/thermal(as the original poster asked) won't have any impact to SSD hardware :-) To have any significant effect, you would have to write into/sys/block/<device name>/and basically deliberately pick the worst possible settings for a SSD. Even so, modern consumer SSDs have plenty of writing cycles and efficient wear leveling: typically the vendors promise that you could write more than a terabyte every day and the SSD would still have the expected lifetime. Of course, sometimes those promises can be mistaken or less than truthful otherwise...
– telcoM
Dec 8 at 12:53
add a comment |
up vote
6
down vote
accepted
You're entirely correct: virtual filesystems like procfs and sysfs are not stored on disk at all. Their contents are generated on-demand based on kernel data structures in RAM, and writing into them (if possible at all) translates into making changes to in-memory kernel settings.
Writing to procfs or sysfs cannot possibly have any impact to SSD lifetime.
answered Dec 8 at 11:48
telcoM
15.6k12143
But if I'm nit-picking, is that possible writing to /sys control the state of your SSD controller so it will have some impact to the hardware?
– 神秘德里克
Dec 8 at 12:39
1
No, repeated writing to/sys/class/thermal(as the original poster asked) won't have any impact to SSD hardware :-) To have any significant effect, you would have to write into/sys/block/<device name>/and basically deliberately pick the worst possible settings for a SSD. Even so, modern consumer SSDs have plenty of writing cycles and efficient wear leveling: typically the vendors promise that you could write more than a terabyte every day and the SSD would still have the expected lifetime. Of course, sometimes those promises can be mistaken or less than truthful otherwise...
– telcoM
Dec 8 at 12:53
add a comment |
up vote
6
down vote
accepted
up vote
6
down vote
accepted
You're entirely correct: virtual filesystems like procfs and sysfs are not stored on disk at all. Their contents are generated on-demand based on kernel data structures in RAM, and writing into them (if possible at all) translates into making changes to in-memory kernel settings.
Writing to procfs or sysfs cannot possibly have any impact to SSD lifetime.
answered Dec 8 at 11:48
telcoM
15.6k12143
You're entirely correct: virtual filesystems like procfs and sysfs are not stored on disk at all. Their contents are generated on-demand based on kernel data structures in RAM, and writing into them (if possible at all) translates into making changes to in-memory kernel settings.
Writing to procfs or sysfs cannot possibly have any impact to SSD lifetime.
answered Dec 8 at 11:48
telcoM
15.6k12143
answered Dec 8 at 11:48
telcoM
15.6k12143
answered Dec 8 at 11:48
telcoM
15.6k12143
answered Dec 8 at 11:48
telcoM
15.6k12143
15.6k12143
But if I'm nit-picking, is that possible writing to /sys control the state of your SSD controller so it will have some impact to the hardware?
– 神秘德里克
Dec 8 at 12:39
1
No, repeated writing to/sys/class/thermal(as the original poster asked) won't have any impact to SSD hardware :-) To have any significant effect, you would have to write into/sys/block/<device name>/and basically deliberately pick the worst possible settings for a SSD. Even so, modern consumer SSDs have plenty of writing cycles and efficient wear leveling: typically the vendors promise that you could write more than a terabyte every day and the SSD would still have the expected lifetime. Of course, sometimes those promises can be mistaken or less than truthful otherwise...
– telcoM
Dec 8 at 12:53
add a comment |
But if I'm nit-picking, is that possible writing to /sys control the state of your SSD controller so it will have some impact to the hardware?
– 神秘德里克
Dec 8 at 12:39
1
No, repeated writing to/sys/class/thermal(as the original poster asked) won't have any impact to SSD hardware :-) To have any significant effect, you would have to write into/sys/block/<device name>/and basically deliberately pick the worst possible settings for a SSD. Even so, modern consumer SSDs have plenty of writing cycles and efficient wear leveling: typically the vendors promise that you could write more than a terabyte every day and the SSD would still have the expected lifetime. Of course, sometimes those promises can be mistaken or less than truthful otherwise...
– telcoM
Dec 8 at 12:53
But if I'm nit-picking, is that possible writing to /sys control the state of your SSD controller so it will have some impact to the hardware?
– 神秘德里克
Dec 8 at 12:39
But if I'm nit-picking, is that possible writing to /sys control the state of your SSD controller so it will have some impact to the hardware?
– 神秘德里克
Dec 8 at 12:39
1
1
No, repeated writing to
/sys/class/thermal (as the original poster asked) won't have any impact to SSD hardware :-) To have any significant effect, you would have to write into /sys/block/<device name>/ and basically deliberately pick the worst possible settings for a SSD. Even so, modern consumer SSDs have plenty of writing cycles and efficient wear leveling: typically the vendors promise that you could write more than a terabyte every day and the SSD would still have the expected lifetime. Of course, sometimes those promises can be mistaken or less than truthful otherwise...– telcoM
Dec 8 at 12:53
No, repeated writing to
/sys/class/thermal (as the original poster asked) won't have any impact to SSD hardware :-) To have any significant effect, you would have to write into /sys/block/<device name>/ and basically deliberately pick the worst possible settings for a SSD. Even so, modern consumer SSDs have plenty of writing cycles and efficient wear leveling: typically the vendors promise that you could write more than a terabyte every day and the SSD would still have the expected lifetime. Of course, sometimes those promises can be mistaken or less than truthful otherwise...– telcoM
Dec 8 at 12:53
add a comment |
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You are right. Not writing to the SSD doesn't count as writing to the SSD. The same would hold for a RAM drive such as
tmpfs.– glglgl
Dec 8 at 12:29