I figured this one out on my own. A bit scary, being new...but I removed the swap, rebooted and all is working....and a bit faster, I think.
 
zenarcher

Did you also remove or comment out the swap reference in /etc/fstab? This may not be necessary, but will help to keep errors from occuring during boot..although you may not care!

No, I did not remove that comment and I'm not quite sure how to do so. Could you please detail the procedure for me? I'm completely new to Linux, so trying to learn this as I go. Also, I see when I look at the partitions, since removing the swap, there is a small area, where the swap was located, now apparently not allocated to anything. Is there some simple way to rectify this? I have rebooted and not seen any errors, but would like to remove the comment you mentioned.
 
Thanks,
zenarcher

What partition tool are you using (did you use) to remove the swap file?
 
If you have PartitionMagic, you can resize the free space, where swap once was, to take up the empty space.
 
You can also use the Mandrake install cd to navigate to the partitioning tool, then resize the space under the expert mode. Then back out of the installer.
 
Qtparted is a partitioning utility for Linux, but I have had some unexpected results with it and do not recommend it.
 
In terms of commenting-out the entry in /etc/fstab, this is how I do it (other opinions will vary).
 
1. Go to a console
 
2. type in su (hit the enter key)
 
3. type in the root password (hit the enter key)
 
You now have a root user console, which allows editing easily.
 
4. type konqueror (hit the enter key)
 
When the file manager comes up, hit the back button once. This brings you to the main directory. Then navigate to /etc and scroll down to the fstab file and double click on it.
 
When the file opens, look for the swap entry and place a # in front of the beginning of the line. This tells Linux to ignore the entry. Save the file and your done! If you decide to use it again, you can just remove the # comment.
 
There is also a editing utility called vi which runs from the command line. But i find newbies find iit cumbersome to use. Takes a little getting used to.
 

I may have done this all wrong...I'm not sure. I'm using Mandrake 10.0. I went into the Configure Your Computer....to a section called Mount Points and removed the Swap there. Initially, when I set Mandrake up on the computer, I let Mandrake automatically create the partitions. Maybe you can guide me from there. Thanks so much for the information on the comment line. I am making notes of all the information and help I get for future reference. It is sincerely appreciated.
 
zenarcher

If I may make a suggestion zenarcher, I'd leave it as a swap space and just comment it out as danleff has suggested. You never know when you may need it, and it won't hurt a thing to have it. I keep a swap space because there are two Windows games I play under Cedega which will not install unless they see a swap space. So, I just turn it on by un-commenting it out, install the game, then re-comment out the entry for swap in /etc/fstab.
 
Another impression of vi: It was the first command line editor I ever used, (that saved my life! ) and to me, with vi improved, (vim), it is exceedingly easy to navigate and edit with. you just use the arrows to get where you want to go, press "insert," make your changes and exit by pressing the esc key, then : x [enter] (without the space between : and x ). Done!

Thanks for the suggestion. I will follow that one. I have learned about the vi....when I had to install the drivers for my NVIDIA card. I got the instructions from a forum, which explained the vi command, so it came fairly easily, since I didn't know any other way! I'm thankful I was familiar with DOS 5 and 6...worked with them a lot, long ago. While I've forgotten a lot of it, the concept of command line is somewhat familiar....once I know what I'm looking for. Also, a thanks for my copy of "Linux for Dummies."
 
zenarcher