RAM disk for OS to speed up?

Back in the good old days of approx Mac OS 7, I could speed up the operation of my Mac by 1000 times, by having a utility which created a RAM disk at start-up, copying the OS to the RAM disk and running the OS from the RAM disk.

Why has no-one created a version of UNIX which runs from RAM? i've got 96 GB RAM, so plenty of room. That way, my Mac won't spend most of its time dicking around with the hard drive (yes, SSD helps by not by much). I'm sick of seeing that sodding beach ball....

Any clarification gratefully received.

Mac Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 4:10 PM

35 replies

BobHarris

Level 9

56,819 points

Aug 9, 2017 4:26 PM in response to djfilms

If your rendering app does not take full advantage of your 96GB, but rather prefers to use temp files, then having RAM disk for those temp files would be useful to you.

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,108 points

Aug 10, 2017 5:54 AM in response to djfilms

With the SSD I meant the disk that OS runs on... (it looks to me that OS runs on a HD..?..).

Happy computing.

Lex

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,108 points

Aug 10, 2017 1:27 PM in response to djfilms

in the Extension folders are .kext files....

But in the SystemLibrary their names are "different" than the readable names in the etrecheck list...

You better not mess around in the SystemLibrary....

djfilms Author

Level 1

9 points

Aug 11, 2017 5:33 AM in response to Lexiepex

Many thanks once more.... you have brought me out of my darkness into your light :-).

I appreciate your assistance.

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,108 points

Aug 11, 2017 6:24 AM in response to djfilms

my pleasure.

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RAM disk for OS to speed up?