Improving performance

I've tried a couple distros Mandrake 10, SuSe, Ubuntu, Gentoo and finally settled on Debian Sarge. But with each and every one it takes ages for any app to load. It takes about 8seconds for firefox to load and about 20 seconds for the OpenOffice progress box to display when openning writter. This isn't the best computer 256mb of ram, amd duron process, not sure the hard drive speed, but it seems they should be starting a little faster.

I'm not too sure where to begin. I've read about hdparm and experimented with it but haven't noticed a difference.

If I run lsmod it shows a whole bunch of modules being used by nothing, or so it seams. But stuff like netsemi shows 0 under used by, but if I end it I can't get online since it's used by my network card. So I don't know how to go about determining which modules I need and don't need.

I'm running gnome since the parents use that computer and need something similar to windows to function so changing wm is out of the questions unless they'res a littler one which looks similar.

Debian Sarge, eh? If you like that distro, you might want to try Arch Linux... Its package management is similar to apt-get in terms of completeness, but has BSD-style initscripts, is optimized for i686 machines, and is a bit more up-to-date. </shameless plug>

Anyway, back to things that are not shameless plugs... What does 'hdparm -i' give for your hard drive?

Here we are:

Code:

debian:/home/family# hdparm -i /dev/hda /dev/hda: Model=WDC WD400BB-00AUA1, FwRev=18.20D18, SerialNo=WD-WMA6R2899084 Config={ HardSect NotMFM HdSw>15uSec SpinMotCtl Fixed DTR>5Mbs FmtGapReq } RawCHS=16383/16/63, TrkSize=57600, SectSize=600, ECCbytes=40 BuffType=DualPortCache, BuffSize=2048kB, MaxMultSect=16, MultSect=off CurCHS=4047/16/255, CurSects=16511760, LBA=yes, LBAsects=78165360 IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:120,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120} PIO modes: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4 DMA modes: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 UDMA modes: udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 *udma4 udma5 AdvancedPM=no WriteCache=enabled Drive conforms to: device does not report version: * signifies the current active mode

Your drive is UDMA 5 capable, isn't it?

yes, his drive is UDMA5 capable, it is currently running UDMA4, personaly i am not sure how to force udma5, since dma is already active on the drive. but I don't think your hardrive is the bottleneck, to confirm this run

hdparm -Tt /dev/hda

for R/W test results
my results:

Code:

/dev/hda: Timing cached reads: 1580 MB in 2.00 seconds = 789.95 MB/sec Timing buffered disk reads: 104 MB in 3.05 seconds = 34.07 MB/sec

on this
/dev/hda:

Code:

Model=Maxtor 4D080H4, FwRev=DAH017K0, SerialNo=D41AD05E Config={ Fixed } RawCHS=16383/16/63, TrkSize=0, SectSize=0, ECCbytes=57 BuffType=DualPortCache, BuffSize=2048kB, MaxMultSect=16, MultSect=off CurCHS=16383/16/63, CurSects=16514064, LBA=yes, LBAsects=156301488 IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:120,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120} PIO modes: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4 DMA modes: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 UDMA modes: udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 *udma5 AdvancedPM=yes: disabled (255) WriteCache=enabled Drive conforms to: ATA/ATAPI-6 T13 1410D revision 0:

If you could post the results of a uname -a and free -t then we can get a better idea of you system. Also, (if your comfortable, since the information could assist a maliscious attempt at your computer) post the results of a 'ps aux' (if you want, you could remove process names, were just looking for resource hungry programs)

the big one (if your willing) is to try running a prelink. Most common applications make use of shared libraries. These shared libraries need to be loaded into memory at runtime and the various symbol references need to be resolved. For most small programs this dynamic linking is very quick. But for programs written in C++ and that have many library dependencies, the dynamic linking can take a fair amount of time.

On most systems, libraries are not changed very often and when a program is run, the operations taken to link the program are the same every time. Prelink takes advantage of this by carrying out the linking and storing it in the executable, in effect prelinking it.

Prelinking can cut the startup times of applications. For example, a typical KDE program's loading time can be cut by as much as 50%. The only maintenance required is re-running prelink every time a library is upgraded for a pre-linked executable. Debian has the prelink program in its repositories so a simple

apt-get update && apt-get install prelink
will instal the application, once installed, become root (recommened through su or sudo) and run

prelink -afmRv

the flags mean (in brief, man prelink provides more robust documentation)

a -- prelink all binaries
f -- force the prelink
m -- conserve virtual memory (needed since the first prelink entails alot of libs
R -- randomize the address ordering, in short, significantly increased protection against buffer overflows.
v -- verbose, I just use it because I like it, no real need

that will prelink your system for the first time, this is a processer/memory/time intesive procedure the first time, but its worth it, turst me.

Once completed, you now have a prelinked system! to update your prelinks whenever libraries change (could cause breaks if you make a major version jump in something like glibc without updating your prelinks)

prelink -amRv

will update your prelinks if any libraries change, I still occasionaly run it with the f flag for good measure, but I don't think it has any real effect.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gentoo Prelink Guide

KDE's loading time can be greatly reduced after prelinking. If you inform KDE that it has been prelinked it will disable the loading of kdeinit (as it isn't required anymore) which speeds up KDE even more.

Set KDE_IS_PRELINKED="true" in /etc/env.d/99kde-env to inform KDE about the prelinking.

I don't use KDE anymore, but back around 3.1 this held true for me, and it really can knock your socks off.

Alright my hdarm -Tt results.

Code:

debian:~# hdparm -Tt /dev/hda /dev/hda: Timing cached reads: 676 MB in 2.00 seconds = 337.88 MB/sec Timing buffered disk reads: 10 MB in 3.37 seconds = 2.97 MB/sec

uname -a and free-t results

Code:

debian:~# uname -a Linux debian 2.6.8-2-k7 #1 Thu May 19 18:03:29 JST 2005 i686 GNU/Linux debian:~# free -t total used free shared buffers cached Mem: 126912 112808 14104 0 11880 37876 -/+ buffers/cache: 63052 63860 Swap: 500432 61304 439128 Total: 627344 174112 453232

Code:

debian:~# ps aux USER PID %CPU %MEM VSZ RSS TTY STAT START TIME COMMAND root 1 0.0 0.1 1504 216 ? S Jul31 0:01 root 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? SN Jul31 0:00 root 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? S< Jul31 0:04 root 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? S< Jul31 0:00 root 19 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? S< Jul31 0:00 root 44 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? S< Jul31 0:00 root 43 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? S Jul31 0:17 root 180 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? S Jul31 0:00 root 334 0.0 0.1 1492 140 ? S<s Jul31 0:00 root 1614 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? S Jul31 0:00 root 2511 0.0 0.3 2376 392 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 daemon 2516 0.0 0.0 1612 92 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 root 2991 0.0 0.2 2260 304 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 root 2994 0.0 0.1 2460 172 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 message 3001 0.0 0.1 2092 180 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 hal 3006 0.0 0.9 5984 1208 ? Ss Jul31 0:48 root 3019 0.0 0.2 2556 304 ? Ss Jul31 0:06 Debian- 3079 0.0 0.1 5140 224 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 root 3104 0.0 0.1 2240 168 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 lp 3109 0.0 0.1 2464 188 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 root 3116 0.0 0.3 3468 392 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 family 3120 0.0 0.3 2952 384 ? Ss Jul31 0:01 root 3124 0.0 0.1 2376 192 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 daemon 3127 0.0 0.1 1684 164 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 root 3130 0.0 0.1 1756 252 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 root 3135 0.0 0.2 8980 344 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 root 3157 0.0 0.1 1500 160 tty1 Ss+ Jul31 0:00 root 3165 0.0 0.1 1500 160 tty2 Ss+ Jul31 0:00 root 3166 0.0 0.1 1500 160 tty3 Ss+ Jul31 0:00 root 3167 0.0 0.1 1500 160 tty4 Ss+ Jul31 0:00 root 3168 0.0 0.1 1500 160 tty5 Ss+ Jul31 0:00 root 3169 0.0 0.1 1500 160 tty6 Ss+ Jul31 0:00 root 3170 0.0 0.3 9336 444 ? S Jul31 0:00 root 3290 8.5 7.0 73088 8960 ? S Jul31 249:25 family 3336 0.0 1.5 16700 1972 ? Ss Jul31 0:03 family 3378 0.0 0.1 2988 148 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 family 3380 0.0 2.3 9752 2992 ? S Jul31 0:02 family 3383 0.0 0.2 2256 312 ? S Jul31 0:00 family 3385 0.0 0.8 5372 1052 ? Ss Jul31 0:00 family 3387 0.0 0.9 18820 1252 ? S Jul31 0:03 family 3397 0.0 0.3 4916 500 ? S Jul31 0:13 family 3421 0.0 0.4 3712 540 ? Ss Jul31 0:02 family 3423 0.0 2.2 12416 2876 ? Ss Jul31 0:18 family 3431 0.0 2.7 20872 3480 ? Ss Jul31 0:12 family 3433 0.0 2.3 40036 2996 ? Ss Jul31 0:36 family 3435 0.0 0.9 15140 1256 ? Ss Jul31 0:03 family 3444 0.0 0.3 16512 476 ? S Jul31 0:00 family 3452 0.0 0.2 2188 268 ? S Jul31 0:00 family 3456 0.0 2.9 17232 3724 ? S Jul31 0:16 family 3458 0.0 1.8 17756 2392 ? S Jul31 0:16 family 3460 0.2 1.6 17068 2132 ? S Jul31 6:21 family 3462 0.0 1.1 15304 1496 ? S Jul31 0:04 root 7370 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? S Aug01 0:00 root 7436 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? S Aug01 0:02 root 8057 0.1 1.3 14452 1768 ? Ss 12:46 0:00 root 8060 0.1 1.3 3024 1660 pts/1 Ss 12:46 0:00 root 8192 0.0 0.6 2496 844 pts/1 R+ 12:56 0:00

I'll definatly setup prelinking later tonight, I've sshed into that machine and my brother claims to know when I run commands, so I'll let him play his mario for now.

If your drive is UDMA5 compatible, you can get it to use UDMA5 by using '-X69' or '-X udma5' with hdparm.

Edit: wait... what kernel version are you using?

use XFCE!

Use XFCE window manager. KDE and GNOME drag. XFCE is zipity quickity. I happened across it when i first started using linux a little while back in fedora3 on a old slow machine after trying all 3 desktops. I experienced no lags on XFCE and they got tight little plugins, http://xfce-goodies.berlios.de/ - flash movie of additional xfce plugins[/u]

Re: use XFCE!

Quote:

Originally Posted by d0p

Use XFCE window manager. KDE and GNOME drag. XFCE is zipity quickity. I happened across it when i first started using linux a little while back in fedora3 on a old slow machine after trying all 3 desktops. I experienced no lags on XFCE and they got tight little plugins, http://xfce-goodies.berlios.de/ - flash movie of additional xfce plugins[/u]

Does it have something like the taskbar in windows? You know can launch applications, shutdown and restart the computer and shows the open windows?

Kernel is 2.6.8.

I set the drive to use UDMA5 and set up prelinking. I can say I've noticed a huge speed increase. Firefox is down to about 3 seconds to open and Writer at about 7.

Of coarse I'm always open to getting them to open even faster.

Re: use XFCE!

Quote:

Originally Posted by squirrelplayingtag

Quote:

Originally Posted by d0p

Use XFCE window manager. KDE and GNOME drag. XFCE is zipity quickity. I happened across it when i first started using linux a little while back in fedora3 on a old slow machine after trying all 3 desktops. I experienced no lags on XFCE and they got tight little plugins, http://xfce-goodies.berlios.de/ - flash movie of additional xfce plugins[/u]

Does it have something like the taskbar in windows? You know can launch applications, shutdown and restart the computer and shows the open windows?

Kernel is 2.6.8.

I set the drive to use UDMA5 and set up prelinking. I can say I've noticed a huge speed increase. Firefox is down to about 3 seconds to open and Writer at about 7.

Of coarse I'm always open to getting them to open even faster.

To answer your question with a question... did you look at the flash demos? http://xfce.org/various/flash_demos.html also http://xfce-goodies.berlios.de/demos/goodies.html swf for some neat plugins to monitor system resources like those at gdesklets.