Tuning Down the Gnome?

skarlath00 · 08-24-2003, 01:30 AM

Here's the problem...
I installed RH Linux 9 on a woefully inadequate thinkpad 760XD

I've only got 32 meg of ram, a Pentium MMX, and a 120meg swap drive, while the root gets a -whopping- 1.8 gigs.

Obviously, running it in gui mode means its slower than Bill Gates at the Olympics...

Sooo, what are my options besides sitting in the dark and damp of the text-based shell? Is there a way to tune down the graphic intensity of Gnome? I wasn't able to find anything in the hour or so I spent looking for it. (though an hour with a slow machine and a newbie isn't much...)

Please do not throw tomatoes at me for doing this... I really wanted to install linux (I'm very bored lately) and all I had was the clunky laptop...

leonscape · 08-24-2003, 01:39 AM

Forget Gnome try running Blackbox, Fluxbox or another less graphically intense GUI. The programs will still work as GTK is installed.

shermang · 08-24-2003, 05:35 AM

If you're a newbie try running KDE without any fancy menu effects(you can disable them in the Control Center gui).
If an 'un-eyecandied' KDE is still to slow on your computer then try Blackbox. I think it's probably the easiest minimalist window manager for a newbie to use.

skarlath00 · 08-24-2003, 05:21 PM

Thanks, I'll check those out. By disabling all the other virtual desktops and running 256 colors, I kinda got the speed up a bit, but its still bad, so I'll check out kde and the others.

leonscape · 08-24-2003, 05:28 PM

KDE is very resource heavy (even compared to Gnome) Don't try this.
KDE is my Favourite BTW.

b_vasu · 08-28-2003, 08:14 AM

I have been using gnome , I am having the same problem of resources and system being slow . So i have downloaded the fluxbox and intalled it. But I am not able to configure the system to start the x with fluxbox . Could anyone help ??

jdier · 08-17-2004, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by b_vasu
I have been using gnome , I am having the same problem of resources and system being slow . So i have downloaded the fluxbox and intalled it. But I am not able to configure the system to start the x with fluxbox . Could anyone help ??

I am also a bit of a newbie, but here is what I did.

First, install and configure YUM

Second:
# SU
# password,
# yum install switchdesk

Then, from the command line launch switchdesk with the command:
# switchdesk

This will allow you to change the default startup desktop.

Hope this helps

scuzzman · 08-17-2004, 04:03 PM

all I did was create a file in my home directory called .xinitrc, it loloks like this:

Code:

#gnomesession
#startkde
#fluxbox
enlightenment
#wmaker

the # in front of the filename indicates a comment
whenI want to switch window managers i simply remove the comment from the one I want, and replace the comment for the one I was using. currently im running enlightenment, if I wanted to switch to kde, I would add the # to enlightenment, and remove teh one from startkde and type startx