How do make programs load faster?
 

I was just wondering if anybody had any other ideas on how to make programs load faster. I want to show linux to some of my friends, but I know they won't switch if Linux programs aren't a good bit faster than windows programs.

1) Try and reduce resource usage on your PC.
2) Don't install stuff you don't need, a good idea is to use a light distro like slack.
3) Recompiling your kernel to a custom version usually helps too.
4) Put as much high speed RAM in the box as possible - it will rarely go to waste.

1) How??
2)I don't really want to switch distros, I just got this one set up
3)I'm a newbie, so I'd better not try that
4)I have 512 mb 333 ram, AMD sempron w/ fsb of 333, so ram and fsb are same. Not sure about my graphics card speed

1) don't use kde.
2) fair do's
3) you've gotta hideously break your system sooner or later!
4) seems good.

People often expect Linux to run inifintely faster than XP regardless of what each system is doing. If you want to, it's possible to put just as much junk on linux as it is on windows. junk like KDE... not that david_ross would agree... personally i use fluxbox. welllll fast.

I am curently using gnome. Do you know what the fastest e-mail program is? I am using evolution right now, but it takes about 5 seconds to load (Outlook loads almost instantly for me, and I don't have it starting up with my computer.) All I need is a light weight e-mail program(I don't need contact manager, spam blocker, etc.)

you want a fast email program? use pine or mutt. They are CLI but you can use them when shelled into your computer.

About the kernel comment above. Dude...(and all noobs that read this). DO NOT BE SCARED OF COMPILING YOUR OWN KERNEL. The first time I did it was in 97.....linux wasn't where it is now and Google wasn't around back them to guide me like it does nowadays. But there were docs on the CD's that I used that helped me thru the process (this is many-a-kernels ago aswell). There is nothing you can TRUELY screw up. Aslong as you leave all your old stuff intact (aka..don't delete your old kernel or any grub/lilo .conf entries) you will be okay with simply another reboot. And even then you can always boot off of a Knoppix CD...mount your /boot and fix your proflem. Don't be scared. Yes it'll take a while to do it...especially your first time...but you can do it in an x/e/a-term window while you're reading all the howto's and faq's out there on the subject. If it doesn't work when you reboot....re-engage. Compiling a custom kernel I personally think is one of the first things people using linux should do. And once you do it a few times it goes really fast. My last Gentoo install I built the kernel (not including compiling) in about 5 minutes. You know what options you use (best if you save them but I like staying familiary with the menus so i don't) and you just fly right thru it. Ohwell..you forgot something....5 minute fix.

could you explain to me how to do that, or point me to a site. Also, exactly what does recompiling my kernel do?

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...threadid=49035
also, I use mozilla-firefox for browsing and mozilla-thunderbird for mail, both are very fast and arguably the best for their respective jobs

sdat1333:

download kernel, go to kernel directory, make menuconfig (or xmenuconfig or config)
(for a 2.4 kernel) # make dep && make clean bzImage modules modules_install
(for a 2.6 kernel) # make && make modules_install

These are the actual steps though it's important to understand the whole process and what things mean. At this point I will point you to the all knowing www.google.com

just search for "kernel compile howto" or "(your distro) kernel compile howto" or something to that effect. There are TONS and TONS of referances and articles out there for how to do it. And again...read my above post if you haven't already...it's easy and aslong as you don't delete things you can't screw much up.