How can swap be released in Linux?

To release swap space in Linux, you can follow these steps:

1. To check the current usage of swap space in the system, you can use the command: free -h or swapon -s.
2. Show the available memory with the “free -h” command, and check the swap usage with the “swapon -s” command.
3. To identify which processes are using swap space, you can use the command: sudo swapon –show or sudo smem -s.
4. Display the swap usage with `sudo swapon –show` and check the memory usage with `sudo smem -s`.
5. To deactivate the swap partition or file that you want to release, use the command: sudo swapoff /dev/[swap_partition] or sudo swapoff /path/to/swap/file.
6. Deactivate swapping for the specified device or swap file using the ‘sudo swapoff’ command.
7. Double check the usage of swap space to confirm that it has been released. You can use the command “free -h” or “swapon -s”.
8. Show the available memory using the “free” command and check which swap space is currently in use using the “swapon” command.

Releasing swap space can potentially decrease system performance, so it should only be done when necessary. It is recommended not to release swap if the system is functioning normally and there are no memory shortage issues.