mguhlin

MyNotes: Speeding Up Ubuntu

One of the reasons I’ve never stuck with UbuntuLinux for long is how slow, clunky it is. Often this is a function of the computer, but running on a new machine with tons of RAM, SSD, it occurred to me there was no reason for UbuntuLinux running so slow. Having used Elementary OS, BunsenLabs Linux (#!) on the same machine, I couldn’t understand why Ubuntu would drag. Of course, it turns out that a few minor tweaks fixed it all. Ignorance strikes again.

A hint of what is to come…

To begin, I loaded Xubuntu/XFCE4. Of course, that runs fast like a dream. But having played around with MX Linux for a bit, I was impressed with the clean interface. I didn’t keep MX Linux because HDMI wasn’t recognized (connected to a second monitor, a must for work) and it couldn’t load my nvidia graphics. While Elementary OS could do it, there were some quirks to that operating system that don’t exist when using Ubuntu/Xubuntu. I resolved to switch. 
To accomplish some of the tweaks to speed up Ubuntu, I relied on a few blog posts:
Here are my notes from some of the things I tried and they appeared to have worked. You’ll want to read the full blog entries linked above for all the backstory.

Adjust Swap Drive Access

  • gedit admin:///etc/sysctl.conf
  • Copy-n-paste the following to the bottom of the file. Afterwards, save and reboot:
    • # Decrease swap usage to a more reasonable level
    • vm.swappiness=20

Shrink iNode Cache

  • gedit admin:///etc/sysctl.conf
  • Copy-n-paste the following to the bottom of the file. Afterwards, save and reboot:
    • # Improve cache management
    • vm.vfs_cache_pressure=50

/TMP Mount

  • sudo cp -v /usr/share/systemd/tmp.mount /etc/systemd/system/
  • sudo systemctl enable tmp.mount
  • Reboot computer
If you need to undo TMP mount, use this line:
  • sudo rm -v /etc/systemd/system/tmp.mount
Thanks so much for Easy Linux Tips Project!
In the end, I purged Ubuntu-desktop and switched to XFCE4. Speed is fantastic.
Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin’s blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

Discover more from Another Think Coming

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a comment