Linux desktop performance (was X performance)

This all is very sound advise. Don't use Linux on desktop at all. I tried to
get a browser and mail/newsreader to work at bearable speed but finally gave
up and
and started to use Win2000.
Compared to Mozilla/Opera/KNode/KMail
IE & OE are flying. AltDESK is no match to the
corresponding program in fvwm package but it's bearable.

Nevermind that I have to use Reflection X
to run emacs, xterms and the Motif app I'm developing.
Non operational backspace is a small price to pay
for a desktop that does not crawl (I did not
run KDE mind youm I used fvwm).

My next step it to ditch linux on my home computer
though I keep it solely because cdparanoia/cdrecord
are so much easier(faster) to use from command line
than Nero. And mplayer kinda works most of the time
(I like it better than WinDVD actually)

Servers are the only places where Linux belongs really.
Desktop apps in Linux crawl (if work at all).
They're just written this way I guess. Probably it's because of the portly
libgtk.
Opera seems quicker than Mozilla at times but still is
a dog compared to IE. So, Qt sucks as well
performance wise. I guess.

It's funny though, because I remember how proud
this crowd was some years ago {*filter*}ing how slow
Windows was at the time and how much faster
anything built on top of X11 was :-)

No, its because you lack the time or skill to configure your system.
That's a choice. My current desktop does not crawl, nor any Linux
desktop I've ever had (going back to 1997 or so).

-- 
Hal Burgiss
 

::: Ben
::: My system is running Intel Pentium 500MHz with 80MB RAM.  I have NT4
::: and RedHat8 installed on my system.  I noticed windows performs much
::: faster than X in RedHat.  The applications takes a bit longer to
::: load under linux as compared to in NT.  I use 160MB swap space for
::: linux.  What seems to be the problem?  Why is there a difference in
::: performance?  And sometimes Netscape closes by itself under my linux
::: X.    Any suggestions for improving performance? 

Sounds like you are using KDE or Gnome.  That's probably what's driving
you into swapping.  Don't use them, and I'd expect you could start a web
browser and news client without using the swap (just barely).  Right now
on a 500mhz 128mb redhat system on my desktop, X is taking 20mb
(including both the server and window manager), the web browser 30mb,
and the rest is down in the noise -- another few mb all told.  
This should all fit comfortably in 80mb. 

: "nl" < XXXX@XXXXX.COM >
: Don't use Linux on desktop at all.  I tried to get a browser and
: mail/newsreader to work at bearable speed but finally gave up and and
: started to use Win2000. 

I've been using linux for some time, and I get better performance
on my redhat linux boxes (using a barebones wm, mozilla firebird,
and tcl/tk based news and email) than with ie on xp 
on identical 500mhz 128mb hardware.


Wayne Throop    XXXX@XXXXX.COM     http://www.**--****.com/