Linux slower than Windows?
 

Hi, yesterday I installed Mandrake Linux 9.2 Download Edition. It works fine and it recognized all my Hardware. I was happy about that because RedHat 9.0 didn`t.
I still have installed Windows 98 SE on my PC until I get all my stuff moved, so I noticed that Windows boots much faster than Mandrake! Everyone told me that Linux is much faster but on my PC it isn`t. :(
Surfing in the web and runing programms works as fast as in Windows but why is the booting so slow?
Does anybody have a Tuning Tip or something to boot Mandrake faster? Or how can I reduce the Autostart in Linux?
I use KDE 3.1 and Xfree 4.3
Please help a :newbie:
Thanks

Try searching the forums here for slowness and related problems, as it is a pretty common question. Long boot times usually mean that there are a lot of programs starting up, most of which you probably don't need to have running. Look under your Mandrake control center for a list of boot-up services, and determine which ones you don't need. Also, perceived slowness while using a GUI under Linux can often be the result of not having the right video driver installed, so that is something else you might look into.

You have to customize it.

Right now I have a 500mhz machine running Slackware 9.1 which boots in about 20 seconds. Then after I login, and if I startx, fluxbox loads literally in 3 seconds. Applications load fairly quickly too considering they aren't loaded into memory until after I launch them.

;)

Thanks,
wapcaplet? Where can I find the Mandrake control center in 9.2? Under "Configure your Computer?

I am not too sure :) Poke around and I'm sure you'll find it. Or you can just run it from the command-line (I think) - open up a terminal window, become root (with 'su'), and then type 'drakconf'.

Ok, got it, thanks
Going to restart now, should be better!
Thanks

One more question? I heard that if I have a Linux and a Windows Partition on the same Computer it makes it slower.
Is that right?
If yes, does it have much influence?
Thanks

well....
I guess I know what you mean...
the first time i installed mandrake I thought: WTF ????
this is slow as hell =(
well...
the problem with most distris is: you get a kernel with probably all options compiled in -> thus, you have a slow machine...
additionally, they, most of the time, are set up to be 'more user friendly' (in which they fail) running hundreds of deamons slowing your machine down...
linux wasn't made for the average windows user who doesn't know what he's doing at all, you got to have some knowlege about your hardware, and how the system 'ticks'. take some other distro, recompile the kernel, kill all deamons that you don't need. you'll soon wonder why anybody still is using winbloat =] take yourself some time. learn something.
I've tried lots of distros, like redhat, mandrake, suse, rock linux, Gentoo, Debian....just too much to mention. the only one I liked was slackware....because you have complete control over your system... it still is easy to handle and fast as hell by default...there aren't hundreds of scripts trying to make your live easier while in reality just making you wanna cry. you have to know about 8 important config files...thats all...
the choice is yours...
if you wan't to push the power button and everything work somehow without you configuring it....IMHO better go back to the OS with the built in blue screen....if you wan't an advanced reliable, fast OS use linux, but don't expect it to configure everything for you.

i doubt it fedivh. i have ext3 and ntfs partitions on the same hard drive and i haven't had any problems. just don't mount ntfs volumes with write enabled because it doesn't work too cleanly. when you compile a kernel there's actually two ntfs options, ntfs read and ntfs write, because it is not a really good idea to do due to the differences in the fs's. but as far as slowdown goes i don't think there is any. :)

and everything that poison said about slackware goes double for me. anybody that wants to use linux or is having trouble with their current distro and wants to get out i tell them to use slackware.

Thanks poison!
Even if the boot would be always like this I would stay with Linux. Only the boot is so slow, anything else works greaaat! Much better than Windows!!! And the Support like this, I mean: First Thread (mine) at 7:24, last Thread (yours) 9:01. 1 1/2 hour with a lot of good answers. If you send a mail to the Mocosoft Support you have to be registered and pay for it or you have to wait some days for a bad answer. And as you said, most of the Windows Users even dont know what they're doing, so you cant make much questions in a Forum like this because they dont know the answer. Sure there are some good Windows Forums where you get a fast and good answer, but there arent much.
I will learn more about Linux in my free time. But one of the best ways to learn a OS is like this: asking and then trying.
Thank you very much and VIVA LINUX!!

Sure Slackware is a great distro. I wouldnt say the best because that depends one every user. But for Windows to Linux user or Newbies I think Mandrake is one of the best. Could be wrong.
The most important things I'm going to discover in Mandrake, later, when I know enough and I'm not a newbiee anymore I will try other distros like Slackware.
But these differences in Linux distros are good! Later, when Windows doesent exist anymore and everyone has Linux :D there will be people that just want to use the Computer, they will use things like Mandrake, and people that want to know what they're doing, like you! So there will still be differences is the usage but not in the OS. Everyone will use Linux!!

please, don't anybody get me wrong...
I really think every distro has it's advantages....
but...
@fedivh: how you wan't learn anything from mandrake...
it hides everything thats important from you...
you'll get used to those click'n'pray config tools that don't really work the way they should...
you will learn stuff that is specific only to one distro, namely, mandrake...
I'm not forcing you too use slack ^^
it's my favourite distro...
which doens't mean it has to be you favourite distro or ever will be
what I'm advising you is that you pick a more "linux like" distro, so you get to know the really simple configuration stuff....the one that "user friendly" distros make you believe to be complicated.
my PII266 boots in about 17secs. .... that requires you to recompile your kernel...
pick a "linux like" distri from the beginning that will make you learn...
OMG =(
now I'm including my personal opinion again =[
which excludes redhat (prevent users from compiling the original sourcecode so they have to pay to get the important security upgrades), suse (we are state of the art, we don't care about dependency hell), and mandrake (power on, but don't expect a user friendly system to be fast).
spare yourself the annoyence I've gone thru, be wiser ^^
the beginning of calling yourself a linux user is compiling the kernel yourself (although I'm too stupid and didn't manage to compile 2.6 because I somehow messed up my system causing it not to work, but don't let this discourage you =) )...
sorry =]

what's really great to do if you have two computers is to keep mandrake on the one you use a lot and then to put slackware on whichever one has slower hardware. run fluxbox (or some other light window manager) on the slack machine. that ought to get you used to linux. use it, get the 2.6.0 kernel source that just came out and try to install that on your lesser box, and when you feel good about it put that more linuxy distro on your regular use pc.

of course, if you only have one machine (and don't be ashamed, a lot of us - including me - make do with only one box) that won't work. but if you can pick up a P2 you ought to be able to run fluxbox in X on that. KDE or Gnome would be right out, but flux is fast and small.

anyway, what i'm trying to get at is that mandrake is alright if you just want to use it and have it not be a microsoft machine, but if you want to learn linux - and you sound like you do - you'll have to get off it. i'm not saying now, but i think you'll notice that mandrake doesn't satisfy you. my first ditro was red hat and i stopped using it after about a month. i tried a bunch of other distros and slackware linux is now my sole os.

Sure I will change my distro soon to Slackware but in the moment I'm really happy with Mandrake! I had RedHat 9 but it didnt find my printer, networkcard and digicam while Mandrake found all.
Thank you anyway, I will get more info about slackware.

how big is the download edition of slackware 9?