I order Ubuntu version 5.04 for Intel x86 and installed it. I really love it and think it's a ton better than Windows except for the fact that it is super super super slow. I was always told that Linux is a much faster OS so I'm confused about why it's so slow. I was wondering if some one could help me out and advise me on how to fix my problem.

My Computer
Gateway Essential 700
• Intel 700MHz Pentium III Processor
• 64MB 100MHz SDRAM
• EVV700 (17” monitor, 15.9” viewable)
• 8MB AGP Graphics Accelerator
• 15GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive
• 20x min/48x max CD-ROM & 3.5” Diskette
• SB AudioPCI 128D & Boston Acoustic BA265 Speakers
• 56K PCI Voice Modem

Thank you

Linux will run fine on that computer (64 megs ram is pretty small though), you just have to fix the various services and eye candy on it.

Ubuntu comes with a default desktop environment of KDE, which even when run threadbare will consume more than your 64 megs of ram. You will need to step down to a window manager or a light-weight desktop environment like XFCE before you can get below that threshold.

Additionally, you'll want to get rid of unneeded services. I don't know specifically how to do this in Ubuntu, but I'm sure someone here does - and hopefully they'll help you.

IMO, I would spend the 40 or so bucks and get at LEAST 128 mb of RAM. Heck, I spent 80 bucks and got 1 gig (two cards). It is worth it for the eye candy of KDE

The problem with GNOME is it needs A LOT OF MEMORY.

I am surprised it even runs at all on 64MB.
Although your CPU is old, it is fine. You will find it outperforms some 1.6Ggz Processors in some tasks!

Try 256MB at the very least I would say!!! It would cost you, what... $20 to install 7 times more memory!? Go for it!!!

As an alternative:
Windowmaker is an excellent desktop once you get used to it, and it does not require a lot of memory, hence will run a lot faster!!
Also, BlackBox or FluxBox can be made to look very much like windows/metacity/kde/gnome, yet is BLAZINGLY fast. As in faster than
a dos prompt. Ha ha!

Have fun... and upgrade that box!! (Just the memory...)

In your login screen (if it comes up) there is a dropdown box where you
can try different window managers from.

Isn't Ubuntu's default desktop Gnome? Or are you talking about Kubuntu?

In addition to using XFCE, I would also make sure there's a 128 MB swap partition.

The good part is my computer is expandable to a max of 256mb. I know some one who got Ubuntu to work on only 32mb, but I don't how slow it was. Probably took an hour to load something.

Thanks

I've just installed Ub 5.04 with 256mb RAM on an AMD Duron 1303MhZ machine and find it reasonably quick....until I go onto dialup with Firefox.
It must be half the speed of the same program on Fedora Core 3..... and I've applied some changes to the configuration settings (about:config)
Does anyone know why?

Tom

Yeah, I was wrong on the default. Sorry about that - I was confusing it with Kubuntu. Regardless, they both have big default DEs!

Also, elaborating on the swap issue...a rule of thumb is to make it as big as your RAM.

Open a terminal and run
top

To see what it's doing
often these linuxes index the harddrive and do all kinds of silly things while youre not watching

1) try to use alternative desktop like xfce4 or fluxbox
2) Verify if your CPU is a Celeron, they are very slow. I have a celeron 700 and have a pentinum 266 feel... In exchange, my Atlon 850 is way faster.

64MB of RAM is realy too small to run KDE or Gnome window managers at any sort of speed. It would be much faster to run a lighter window manager like IceWM, which doesn't look that bad either.

Hi,

Im also noticing Ubuntu is sluggish when opening windows and accessing programs in the GNOME. Is this because im still running the CDLive version?

Thanks

Running a LiveCD will be slower because the programs have to access the cd drive.

As for a low ram system with less than 256mb, I would install XFCE4. It is faster and uses much less ram than Gnome or KDE.