Slow Gnome :(

[ichi]

Here is the configuration of bro's PC:

Pentium 2,4GHz
512MB RAM
80GB Seagate HDD
inbuit intel gfx card

Partition
15GB root
1.4GB swap

Dunno but Gnome is darth slow at times, but xfce is much faster and responsive.

I installed Debian Lenny netinst and then installed core components.

PS:My rig (C2D, 1GB RAM) is fast with gnome and kde(though not installed now). I just dont want to let my bro resort to windows (he is using linux for learning commands and scripts, i want him to make it his primary OS)

[mehulved]

GNOME is the most bloated DE on linux there is today. But, there are some tricks around which help in reducing that. Just look around the forum they've been put up in the past.

[praka123]

disabling IPV6 and checking ur /etc/hosts file may help.

@mehulbed:like it or not,ppl tend to prefer fully grown DEs like Gnome or kde

[ichi]

I diabled some terminals and disaled ipv6 (btw what ipv6 has to do with slowness of nautilus ?)

now it seem to be better than before, yet to optimize some other features.

thnx for help

One more thing how can i dowload firefox, there is iceweasel (ff rip off), but the latest version in lenny repository is 2.0.0.6 and not the 2.0.0.13.

it seems the versions in sid repository are older than hardy repository ?

[infra_red_dude]

Originally Posted by mehulved

GNOME is the most bloated DE on linux there is today. But, there are some tricks around which help in reducing that. Just look around the forum they've been put up in the past.

Agree 100%. GNOME's internal orgainisation looks as if its been stitched in a hurry! KDE is much better, internally.

@T159
Disable the Deskbar applet from the gnome panel. Also disable these by going to System > Preferences > Sessions:

1) BT Manager
2) Evolution notifiers
3) Tracker (biggest resource hog!)
4) Print queue (if you don't use printer).

Its surprising that each applet on the gnome panel uses an average of 3.5MB! Thats truly pathetic. Cut down the panel applets.

[ichi]

^^there is only one entry in STARTUP
Visual - Autostart the preferred AT

and in CURRENT SESSION
gnome-session-properties
gnome-panel
metacity
nautilus
gnome-at-visual -s

Though removed some extra applets (trash, log off, reduced no of windows in system monitor)

Now its faster and acceptable.

I really dont want kde (installed it in every distro i used but later uninstalled it). Its just not appealing to me, i like simplicity + beauty

[infra_red_dude]

Originally Posted by T159

^^there is only one entry in STARTUP
Visual - Autostart the preferred AT....

Now its faster and acceptable.

OK

...

Originally Posted by T159

i like simplicity + beauty

Sincere advice: then use Xfce....

[ichi]

Originally Posted by infra_red_dude

Sincere advice: then use Xfce....

yeah its just amazing(i hav installed it already), but my bro wont get used to it

[infra_red_dude]

Look at my desktop's resource usage.... thats GNOME!!!!



nautilus: 72mb and not a single window open.. does it take that much to draw the desktop??!!! (no, i'm not using any screenlets or wallpaper clock, its a simple 200kb jpg wallpaper with 4 shortcuts on the desktop).
compiz: 36mb!! least plugins loaded...
gnome panel: 20mb!!!!!! beat that!!
metacity: 10mb
each applet on the panel: average 2.5mb - this is in addition to the 20mb!!! OMFG!!

Each version of GNOME is becoming bloated day by day... guess its time for me to look for an alternative.. but I love my Mac4Lin

[mehulved]

KMac4Lin

[mediator]

14 firefox tabs open, most of the compiz plugins loaded, 2 nautilus instances, audacious with 'preload' running in the background = 376 MB RAM utilization??

I don't even feel if gnome is bloated at all! Even on my old machines with 512 MB RAM it opens with a breeze.

[infra_red_dude]

^^^ Your screenshots confirm everything that I said except that nautilus usage is low

@mehulved
I've gone nuts finding people who'd help me make Kmac4Lin!!!

[mediator]

Originally Posted by IRD's machine

nautilus: 72mb and not a single window open.. does it take that much to draw the desktop??!!! (no, i'm not using any screenlets or wallpaper clock, its a simple 200kb jpg wallpaper with 4 shortcuts on the desktop).
compiz: 36mb!! least plugins loaded...
gnome panel: 20mb!!!!!! beat that!!
metacity: 10mb
each applet on the panel: average 2.5mb - this is in addition to the 20mb!!! OMFG!!

Originally Posted by my machine

nautilus = 19.1 MB, 2 windows open, wallpaper size =450 KB
compiz = 20.6 MB, most plugins loaded
gnome-panel = 5.7 MB
only applets come close

It doesn't confirm much! I wonder if distros plays any significant part.

[praka123]

jfyi kde is buggy and a himalayan bloat!
kdemod-ok.but still hell lot of options.what am I gonna do with that?I am not a geek like Linus to set and tinker every settings

Gnome is easy,simple and less buggy compared to total kde.

[infra_red_dude]

Originally Posted by mediator

It doesn't confirm much! I wonder if distros plays any significant part.

Yep, valid point! I guess Distro ka bahut bada haath hai!

Just tried switching from Nautilus to Thunar and I can feel the difference rite away! Only thing is drawing desktop is a problem...

KDE 3.5 (or for that matter, every DE/WM!!) runs much smoother on my system than gnome.. i'm surprised!

[abhinandh]

Originally Posted by mediator

It doesn't confirm much! I wonder if distros plays any significant part.

yep.for sure.
look at my arch linux.

[ichi]

seems some bug in gnome ? 2.22.0

[praka123]

...and when I tried Foresight Linux(uptodate Gnome-2.22) it is pretty fast

(have to merge Gnome for gentoo tonight)

[abhinandh]

^^^but in the arch linux forums there are many posts about gnome 2.22 annoyances and bugs.

it is still in the arch testing repo.Gnome 2.22 is still not moved to extra repo.

[ichi]

Originally Posted by praka123

...and when I tried Foresight Linux(uptodate Gnome-2.22) it is pretty fast

(have to merge Gnome for gentoo tonight)

try to open drives when u r transfering data to pen drive.

try to open a folder in which download is going on.

Its not always but when it does, it shoots to high cpu usage

[shady_inc]

Based on the things being said about Gnome in this thread,I decided to give kubuntu-desktop a try and must say, it's way more faster and responsive than Gnome.It appears even faster than KDE on Fedora.I am sticking with KDE for now.!

[praka123]

@t159:
no problems in Foresight though
BUT...now I am experiencing the slowing down in Ubuntu as well as Sid also
I am rebooting with "acpi=force pnpbios=off" options to see whether it saves the problems
If else,I have to remove all .gnome and .gconf dir in /home/username
also,make sure ur gnome-system-monitor shows the usage of resources unlike zombies.if that is-then hal/system-tool-backends/gnome-system-tools are the culprits.also check /etc/hosts content that it is correct.else boot time will be longer as Gnome searches for host names

again that too fails,I will reinstall gnome-session and other important Gnome packages.
Gnome is very fast in some sytems.for eg; In a laptop Gnome is rocketing!yes,it uses older Gnome though(Debian Etch)

Either it is a Gnome problem or Xorg problem.I dont suspect the 2nd one though