i've just obtained a (233mhz 32meg RAM 3 gig hd) laptop. i put slackware on it but it runs real slow. my window manager is xfce. how can i speed it up, i want to use it to browse the web and do word processing. (for those tasks i want to use mozilla and staroffice 6). i'd also like to be able to listen to mp3's while browsing the web etc, but that's not at all a priority.

when i installed slack i didn't notice an install to laptop option, is this a good distro for laptops? i'd also like to strip down some unneded software but the slack install make's it hard to understand what i need and dont need to install.

any suggestions?

If at all possible install more RAM. I would think that is about the only option you really have.

In the mean time you can try to see which processes are sucking your mem and turn them off.

how do i view my running processes, figure out what they do, and then terminate them. fyi here's a site http://www.blkviper.com that tells you about the processes in win2k and xp, it also tells you if there needed and what their for.

"top"

Taking out a few rc.somethings for stuff you don't use, httpd for instance runs a meg or two of memory sleeping, but really all that slowness is X and XFce, 32 megs is smalltime. I recently broke down and yanked the 128 Megs of EDO out of my old web-server and stuck it in my then 64MB file server... oh my, HUGE difference, and I was only running Fluxbox.

Cheers,

Finegan

all you need to run is
top
and see which processor gets more CPU time, etc. Also increase you swap if it is possible, and run something really minimalistic - everything that *box (blackbox, fluxbox, hackedbox)

Ya as suggested look through rc.scripts and comment out all you dont need, same goes for /etc/inetd.conf that starts a bunch of background services you dont need.
Hope that helps
-NSKL

how can i tell if i need a process or not?
when i boot i only have 26 running processes, ( i have yet to recompile my kernel either, just downloaded the 2.4.19 kernel)

also, i have just installed blackbox and i dont know how to use it (edit the xinit.rc file).

Slack's 2.4.18 is optimized 386, you'll get something out of a P2 optimized compile, but not much, 26 is pretty slim... Is that with X running?

Cheers,

Finegan

1. the 26 processes was without x running (26 processes 25 sleeping 1 running).
with x running i have 33 processes, 31 sleeping, 1 running, 1 zombie, oh changed suddenly to 30 sleeping 2 running.

2. unfortunately my processor isn't p2 it's only pentium-mmx.

3. i keep trying to recompile but when i go to boot the new kernel the screen says (Linux..............) then the screen goes blank, the hard drive access light goes crazy (seemingly still loading linux). i thought that it might be a power management problem so i recompiled a couple more times turning off some then all of the power management options. i do get an error after i'm done with xconfig......

ERROR - Attempting to write value for unconfigured variable (CONFIG_PARPORT_PC_PCMCIA)

Isn't parport some sort of printier driver/thing? i'd turn this off if i knew what it was exactly.

4. im now running blackbox, should x be using up 36.5 % of my memory (32megs of ram). (i'm gonna try the other boxes and see which gives me the best performance.)

thanks

3. Slack now defaults to booting in framebuffering mode from LILO. You can compile in framebuffering (which was left out by default), or for starters just change LILO, comment out the current option and uncomment: "vga=normal"

Cheers,

Finegan

As Finegan suggested uncomment vga=normal in /etc/lilo.conf and comment whatever is in its place.
Parport is parallel port, Parport_PCMCIA is a parallel over pcmcia which i have no idea what it is since i never used laptops.
Hope that helps
-NSKL

how do i compile in framebuffering?

Here's what my lilo.conf file looks like, what do i uncomment?

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 1200
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
vga = 771
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda1
label = Linux
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz-nbk
root = /dev/hda1
label = LinNBK
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

Good question! I wish I knew, I've had to do this exact same trick twice now. One crate is a dual head, so framebuffering being gone didn't bother me, I run it in X all the time anyway... the other was a laptop, same difference.

Swap these to this:

#vga =771
vga = normal

Then re-run lilo. That'll do it, of course bootup will be back to the standard and quite ugly vga mode.

Cheers,

Finegan

what is the Open SSH SSh daemon? do i need it? i notice that it takes a long time to load when i boot the computer.