why is linux so slow?!

stuart · 06-21-2004, 05:24 PM

my kde boots and uses 480 of 512 meg after boot, that is alot but my kde still runs uber fast and all my apps seem to run fine, i start up ut2004 demo and the usage doesnt even go over 512!!

Tinkster · 06-21-2004, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by stuart
my kde boots and uses 480 of 512 meg after boot, that is alot but my kde still runs uber fast and all my apps seem to run fine, i start up ut2004 demo and the usage doesnt even go over 512!!

What makes you think that KDE uses 480MB?

Cheers,
Tink

dongmin · 06-21-2004, 05:39 PM

i should make a new topic on enabling dma/udma..

stuart · 06-21-2004, 05:41 PM

ok rephrase, my system uses 480 meg of memory after bootup, not kde specifically

Tinkster · 06-21-2004, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dongmin
i should make a new topic on enabling dma/udma..

I guess you'll need to recompile your kernel, mate.

Check the options in
less /usr/src/linux/Documentation/Configure.help
/DMA
(use n to go to the next hit, cursor keys to scroll
up and down a bit, you'll find them all ;})

Cheers,
Tink

amosf · 06-21-2004, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by stuart
ok rephrase, my system uses 480 meg of memory after bootup, not kde specifically

linux always tends to use all the memory. What's the point of having it if you don't use it :-)

If you type

free

in a console, what are the results? You'll probably see that most of the memory is cache and buffers.

As for slow - it's something seriously wrong if you can't type on that box. My P III 700 is fine, and I run it on a lot slower than that - celeron 666, P II 350's, etc...

dongmin · 06-21-2004, 06:49 PM

i think i fixed it..

/dev/hda:
Timing buffer-cache reads: 2584 MB in 2.00 seconds = 1292.00 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 66 MB in 3.03 seconds = 21.78 MB/sec

is that normal?

whansard · 06-21-2004, 06:51 PM

yeah, you need to recompile your kernel. you may not have support for your motherboard chipset compiled in, and maybe not have dma capability enabled or both.

edit: don't let this confuse you. i was typing it when you were typing the above, i guess.

whansard · 06-21-2004, 06:52 PM

yeah. that's probably about right.
i'm sorry i started the trouble about kde. it is pretty big though. but i love it anyway. i'm just glad i don't have to use it unless i want to.

dongmin · 06-21-2004, 06:55 PM

thanks everyone!!! yet another problem solved!

claybub · 06-21-2004, 07:37 PM

I have fedora core 2 with 2.6.5 kernel and kde.
when i bring up kde system guard it shows 426mb of physical memory out of 512.
but when I bring up gkrellm it shows that i have 406 mb free.
so basically what im saying is that system guard is unreliable (duh!)

boreo · 06-21-2004, 09:48 PM

I don't have this problem, but can you post how you fixed the problem for other users to learn from it and solve it if they ever encounter it. Thanks and good job.

qwijibow · 06-22-2004, 07:50 AM

Quote:

when i bring up kde system guard it shows 426mb of physical memory out of 512.
but when I bring up gkrellm it shows that i have 406 mb free.
so basically what im saying is that system guard is unreliable (duh!)

maybe one is showing 'FREE' Ram.. and the other is showing "AVAILABLE RAM"
you may only have 8 Meg FREE... but as your systems need for ram increaces, linux will start reducing disk cach and other big buffers.

comp12345 · 06-22-2004, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by claybub
I have fedora core 2 with 2.6.5 kernel and kde.
when i bring up kde system guard it shows 426mb of physical memory out of 512.
but when I bring up gkrellm it shows that i have 406 mb free.
so basically what im saying is that system guard is unreliable (duh!)

This should explain it.
http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/...all_my_memory?

DropSig · 06-22-2004, 05:25 PM

I had once the same problem, but not that bad. This may sound like a stupid question but just in case, Is your swap partition working, i mean is it in your fstab?