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I installed Ubuntu on an older computer (with pentium M processor) and it is very slowly. I don't think this is a bug, but just a too slow computer for the standard version. What can i deactivate or modify to get better performance for that computer?

Update:

/proc/cpuinfo:

    processor   : 0
    vendor_id   : GenuineIntel
    cpu family  : 6
    model       : 9
    model name  : Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor 1500MHz
    stepping    : 5
    cpu MHz     : 600.000
    cache size  : 1024 KB
    fdiv_bug    : no
    hlt_bug     : no
    f00f_bug    : no
    coma_bug    : no
    fpu     : yes
    fpu_exception   : yes
    cpuid level : 2
    wp      : yes
    flags       : fpu vme de pse tsc msr mce cx8 mtrr pge mca cmov lflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 tm pbe up bts est tm2
    bogomips    : 1199.03
    clflush size    : 64
    cache_alignment : 64
    address sizes   : 32 bits physical, 32 bits virtual
    power management:

free:

                total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
    Mem:        508196     488212      19984         0      37608     183292
    -/+ buffers/cache:     267312     240884
    Swap:       522236      13812     508424

df -T:

    Dateisystem   Typ   1K‐Blöcke   Benutzt Verfügbar Ben% Eingehängt auf
    /dev/sda1     ext4    95635244  12192596  78584588  14% /
    udev      devtmpfs      247084         4    247080   1% /dev
    tmpfs        tmpfs      101640       780    100860   1% /run
    none         tmpfs        5120         0      5120   0% /run/lock
    none         tmpfs      254096      1164    252932   1% /run/shm
    /dev/sr0       udf     4147606   4147606         0 100% /media/Disc
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  • please add the output for cat /proc/cpuinfo and free and df -T Just to better understand your situation.
    – gajdipajti
    Jan 23, 2012 at 22:27
  • Sorry for this late response. The results can be found under: dl.dropbox.com/u/22377790/out.txt Is the memory a bigger problem? The computer has 500 MB RAM. If it would held a lot, i would try to buy extra RAM.
    – LukeST
    Jan 31, 2012 at 9:51
  • Thx, I will create an answer.
    – gajdipajti
    Jan 31, 2012 at 10:19

3 Answers 3

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Can you update your question , how much ram do you have ?

If you want the fastest "out of the box" performance, try Lubuntu.

Your other option might be a minimal install and build up, depends a bit on your RAM.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/MinimalCD

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/LowMemorySystems

You may be better off with a light weight distro such as Tinycore.

With those stats (it is an older CPU) I would suggest Lubuntu, Slackware, or a small distro such as Tinycore. You will also want to look at light weight applications

This Arch Wiki page maintains a nice listing: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Common_Applications

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  • Thanx for answering. If possible i would have the same surface than now, because my children should have the same look on that computer than my own computer has. But i think, that unity needs lots of ressources. This may be the problem. Maybe i should get more RAM?
    – LukeST
    Jan 31, 2012 at 9:55
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I installed 1 GB extra memory. Now it works fine. I think, less than 1 GB for installation of Ubuntu with unity is too less memory. Thanks for all your help.

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The cpu might have enough power, but you will be always low on ram. The web browsers will eat everything. You have four choices in Ubuntu:

  • Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (with the Gnome 2 interface, and the firefox 3.6.*)
  • Ubuntu 10.04 LTS + razor-qt (install a minimal system from an alternate install cd, or a normal install, add the Razor-qt ppa, instructions, and install other packages, log in with only Razor-qt, try to use firefox 3.6.*)
  • Lubuntu 11.10 (try the live cd/usb)
  • Kubuntu Razor-qt remix 11.10 (try the live cd)

Everything else will run out of ram: Unity, Gnome 3, KDE and even XFCE. With 10.04 the xubuntu and lubuntu is not so good. The 12.04 is still in Alpha 1.

You can also try Debian 6.

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