Following this issue: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1265604 my laptop has been really slow. I think it's just the desktop, as nothing else appears to be that slow (except firefox loading).

I've looked in processes, and there are no obvious issues there. I still have all 1gb of my memory plugged in and I still have a 1.6ghZ processor (at that speed).

Does anyone know what is wrong and how I can fix this issue?

~Callum

I run Slackware on a Toshiba NB100 netbook and have also tried xubuntu (from a usb stick). It performs well with either - maybe the gnome desktop is the issue?
After all, although the remix is customized it is still a full ubuntu desktop system.

It was working amazingly quickly until I messed about with gnome.

To solve the problem I had with the monitor, I deleted all the gnome files, might that be the problem?

btw that is possibly the fastest reply I have ever had (I've had this exact thread in the Ubuntu forums for two weeks). Thanks

~Callum

Had the same problem with my Eee PC 900HD under Ubuntu, which I bought Saturday morning. I installed Ubuntu that night, after several hours of trying to make it useful while running Windows XP.

The latest update (Sunday morning) fixed some of the problems, notably jerky mouse performance, but things are still a bit too slow for my taste.

Switching from that custom configuration to standard GNOME also helped, but it still has a way to go. Before I scrap Ubuntu entirely on this machine, I'll try it with some other WM/DE.

I am not sure why ubuntu chose to use gnome for a netbook? Xfce on Xubuntu is far more zippy and has more than enough for a minimalist notebook. I have also tried puppy linux on my toshiba netbook from a usb stick, and it runs like a greyhound.

I forgot to mention, if your system was working just reinstall gnome or a different Window manager from the repository. Xfce desktop environment, or windowmaker.

I just INSTALLED gnome. It wasn't installed at all.

It installed loads of other random software, but didn't speed up at all. It is definately JUST the program launcher thingy (not in normal ubuntu)

~Callum

Oooh.

Switching into traditional desktop mode results in the following error:

An error occurred while loading or saving configuration information for gnome-panel. Some of your configuration settings may not work properly.

DETAILS:

Failed to contact configuration server; some possible causes are that you need to enable TCP/IP networking for ORBit, or you have stale NFS locks due to a system crash. See http://projects.gnome.org/gconf/ for information. (Details - 1: Could not send message to gconf daemon: Message did not receive a reply (timeout by message bus))

~Callum

If you are not sure what state it is in, it may be easier to simply backup your data and reinstall the OS. If you have /home on a separate partition it is a 30minutes job.
or You can re-install with the terminal: "sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop"

Just reinstalled the application launcher, didn't work.

I think I'll just reinstall everything. How do I do this? I have /home on a completely different hard drive.

~Callum

Bump.

backup any data just to be safe!
Then follow your original installation procedure, and select to install to the same partitions, including /home however DO NOT SELECT TO FORMAT this partition.

Ah clever. Thanks.

I'm assuming I will lost all my applications, but when I reinstall I won't be able to tell the difference because all the application data is in /home?

~Callum

You should not lose anything. The full install should reload the OS and all the programmes into the /root partition. All your configurations for the applications are hidden files in the home partition, so if all goes to plan when you boot up it should look like your custom system. Unlike windows.

Okay thanks

Yeah, windows sucks

~Callum