How to make SUSE 9.3 Fast?
 

what sevice should I stopped? If I just use this suse for personal PC, working with office, dial up internet and read some NTFS partitions

because I see in KSysGuard there is 83 processes and I think that too much for my PC

or maybe there is something to make suse 9.3 more responsif.... :D

I'd just recompile your kernel... that will get rid of the unnecessary, well thats what i'd do.

That will do it...or go through the 83 processes you mention and figure out what you don't need..

Ok....btw I found that Suse is more responsif when using GNOME as Desktop manager.....and I think GNOME seems like nice and simple but powerfull :D .....so how to make GNOME as default Desktop manager for my SUSE 9.3

Wow....compile a new version of kernel....That's my dreams but I dont know how to compile kernel.....and I see and read that a lot off had some problem when they do a kernel compiling.....so is there someway to compile kernel safe and easy?
sorry I asking to much....

There is no easy way to compile a new kernel.
However, check out this tutorial.It should explain in easy language, how to do it:
http://www.zzzzx.plus.com/websites/suse_9.1/kernel.html

well, re-compiling a new kernel will change some but not all. First thing to do is to stop services you don't need.
If this is standalone workstation, you can stop postfix, portmapper, nfs, nfsboot, smbfs, ssh, CUPS (if you dont have printer), powersaved (if you dont use suspend/sleep, or this is not laptop), slpash, splash_early (you will loose boot splash screen), hwscan ( if you dont have pluggable hardware or not planning to add something new).
to stop the above:
YAST -> System -> System Services (runlevel)
If you are behind hardware firewall you can shudown SuSEfirewall2, although I think that any extra level of security is wise.

you can stop ipv6:
in terminal window run:
echo "alias net-pf-10 off" >> /etc/modprobe.conf
echo "alias ipv6 off" >> /etc/modprobe.conf

This will also speed up web browsing.


Building a custom kernel is rather easy, but you need to know what hardware is needed and what kernel services are vital for your system. Kernel will not start everything that is build in it. For examle you have a lot of network card drivers in default kernel but only these you are using are started. Now, system will start all the hardware you have but if you dont use it then this is waste. For example I don't have firewire, so remowing it from kernel will trim down used memory. Standard SuSE 9.3 kernel size is 1.6MB mine is 1.1MB.
You can gain the speed by turning on preempting (off in defautl kernel) of course, selecting your CPU instead of generic, and so on.

The only real advice for kernel newbie is to remember to to two things:
1. change the name of the kernel from default. Simply when done with configuration (make xconfig or make menuconfig). edit resulting .config file (dot at the beginning) and change this line from
CONFIG_LOCALVERSION="-default" to something like
CONFIG_LOCALVERSION="-fancy_name"
2. edit GRUB or LILO config/menu and make sure that initrd and vmlinuz are pointing to the right kernel including default kernel.

If you do that carefully enough, then even if your costum kernel would fail to boot, you will still be able to boot default kernel.

Anyway, even if you stay with default kernel you can still trim down running processes and speed up system/release memory

How to configuring KERNEL? "Standard SuSE 9.3 kernel size is 1.6MB mine is 1.1MB " how to do this?

I simply streamlined SuSE's kernel
1. install kernell sources use YoU for 2.6.11.4 or download sources for kernel.org
I suggest for first timer to use SuSE kernel, it has specific patches that makes easier to work with (e.g. patched with subfs which you would have to add later)
2. make list of your current hardware, do not leave stuff you will use "in the future", you can always re-build kernel later
3. cp /boot/config-x-default /usr/src/linux-x-default/.config
x is kernel version and note that . (dot) in the config name copied to but not from
4. install gcc and ncurses-devel (if you will try menuconfig)
5. cd /usr/src/linux-x-default
6. make menuconfig
7. now this the part I can't help: configure kernel.
what is safe to remove without knowing your hardware:
for example you can remove: not used NICs, firewire, USB mass storage, (leave these you need obviously but you don't need all of it), ipv6, set preempt, your CPU instead of generic, if you have 32-bit and more than 1GB of RAM set limit (either 4 or 6GB), if you have 64-bit then this option is not available because there is no sane limit for RAM in 64-bit OS), if you don't use jfs or xfs of nfs you can remove these too,
8. If unsure what specific option means LEAVE IT!
9. save config

10. IMPORTANT:
edit .config and find:
CONFIG_LOCALVERSION="-default"
replace with
CONFIG_LOCALVERSION="-virgin"
anything you want but not "-default"

11. you can run compilation with specific flags, but first time simply try if it works at all:
make bzImage
make modules
make modules_install
you can run above in one line:
make bzImage && make modules && make modules_install
12. if everyting will go well install kernel:
make install
13. edit GRUB
- make install will replace symlinks for initrd and vmlinuz from default to the new kernel
That is o.k. but you need to adjust settings for default kernel otherwise it will not boot. You need default kernel because it works, while your fresh kernel may not

so under the entry for default kernel change the name of vmlinuz to vmlinuz-x-default and initrd to initrd-x-default (remember that x stands for the kernel version found in /boot)
you will find the exact names in /boot

After you re-boot you will see extra entry in the GRUB menu choice:
new kernel-new_name
select it. If you have done it right it will boot succesfully.... or not ;)

If you have installed nvidia drivers before rebooting change xorg.conf driver entry from nvidia to nv
after succesful reboot to the new kernel re-install nvidia.

You should be fine even if a new kernel fail, simply boot to the old default and try again. All this is safe if you will remember to change names of the new kernel and also in the GRUB menu file.

If this "recipe" is not clear (may be) then read more about customizing kernel before trying it.

you can also (not related to kernel customization) add specific scheduler so OS will run better

Hope that it will help a little.

Thanks broch. That's an excellent step by step SuSE kernel compile. The last time I tried, I had to re-install from scratch. Your description gives me the confidence to try again.

I made small mistake:
should be
3. cp /boot/config-x-default /usr/src/linux-x/.config


x- is kernel version so in the case of 9.3 and default kernel it would be:
2.6.11.4-20a

thanx a lot Broch.....you give me a clear way to configure my KERNEL.....thanx a lot :)