[Gllug] Small PC, resource constraints, improving efficiencies

[David L Neil]

Tet,

On 05/03/10 22:22, Tethys wrote:
> David L Neil writes:
>> Should I trial LXDE and/or XFCE by attempting to run multiple Desktop
>> Environments/Window Managers at the X level, or by dual-booting whole
>> distributions with the appropriate choice as the sole GUI?
> I don't really think it makes much difference, although multiple
> desktop environments is a less invasive solution.
>> *have thought to try Opera 10 (and maybe its Dragonfly system for
>> web-dev) and compare load factors with FF...?
> I'd definitely recommend Opera. I used to hate it with a passion,
> but recent versions have been very, very good, and having it start
> up in a second is a wonderfully refreshing change from Firefox's
> bloat.

=exactly my aim. My problem was that Firefox without the Web Developer, 
Firebug, etc, add-ons was like eggs without bacon. I've only recently 
come to my senses and employed multiple profiles (eg web-surf and 
web-dev) but even so, slimmed-down FF is still a beast - and non-JS 
browsers are too restrictive on today's web even when one avoids video 
as much as possible, Flash-happy sites...


>> XFCE seems to be available from the CentOS?rpmforge repositories but
>> LXDE is not found by search.
> How much do you want from a desktop environment?

=not much (at the appearance level, cf the underlying mechanics 
?windows/applications management).

=Analysed right down: at the desktop I rarely touch more than the five 
panel icons for the listed apps (FF, Tb, OOo-Writer, Calc, VNC), plus 
the power button (although now I've configured the hardware button, 
reliably), plus Nautilus and Terminal. Other stuff like GEdit and the 
PDF reader tend to be started by clicking on downloaded files sitting on 
the desktop, which I use as my staging area. Date-time widget. Don't use 
multiple desktops. Don't care for screen-savers and fancy backgrounds... 
The rest is probably all 'mechanics'.

=basically, as long as the apps look-and-feel roughly the same, most of 
the eye-candy is unnecessary and I'd rather put the (v.scarce machine) 
resources into another FF tab or similar. Yes, I'm boring!

=being used to running servers without GUIs, I'd be happy to run 
Thunderbird & from the X11 cmdLN - is such possible??? I live in the app 
not on the desktop!?

=on my travels, it is configured as a single user machine, and 
connecting to/through public libraries and 'strange' networks makes 
security more of a concern.


If you're looking for
> a lightweight solution, then you might want to look at FVWM. It's in
> EPEL, so installing it on CentOS is a breeze. It's configured through
> a config file, rather than dragging and dropping things onto a task
> bar, for example, but it's insanely powerful, and light on resources.
> I've tried KDE and GNOME, but found them to be limiting, and have
> always returned to FVWM. It does what I want with a minimum of fuss.

=I have seen this, but never investigated - will do so.

=From first glance it seems not to replace Gnome* but only Metacity. 
Will it result in significant resource savings?

*perhaps my ignorance shows: are the others only/much the same? I 
figured that having trimmed-down as many of the CentOS services as I 
dare, I could maximise the resources available to the apps. Gnome seems 
to be over-kill for my 'five buttons' (as above), hence my ponderous 
ponderings...


>> Alternatively, should I simply load the other DktopEnv/WinMgrs on top of
>> the existing CentOS X11 (and hopefully rewire things with the Desktop
>> switcher)?
>> - but I'm concerned that removal after failure might be messy/risk the
>> current system-config?
> I think that's an ungrounded fear. I habitually try things out on a
> regular basis, and when I decide I'm done, a quick "yum erase" gets
> the box back to its previous state without any problems.

=I have tried various things out, but then killed all sorts of other 
stuff when yum erase-ing afterwards. A little bit of knowledge is a 
dangerous thing (at least in my case)...

=Having spent sooooooo long getting this little machine working (again - 
after a HDD crash shortly AFTER leaving London), I'm frankly wary of 
mucking it up in a (ignorant) bid to make it better!


> Tet

=Many thanks,
=dn
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