Ubuntu on G3 - How fast is it?

[m666]

Hi!
How switching from OSX to Ubuntu can increase
computer's performance?
Will divx movies run better under linux?
Considered machine is B&W powermac G3 400MHz 256MB

[Flipper]

Hello, i have a ibook g3 clamshell ( 366mhz , 192 ram) and i couldn't watch any xvid (avi files) neither with OSX nor OS9.2 ( it opens but its breaks a lot), so i decided to install ubuntu on it and..

The results are magnificent, i now have dual boot (OSX and Ubuntu) and I can watch my Xvid files without any problem! thanks to Ubuntu and VLC :D

[jdp]

Had you also tried VLC under OS X?

[m666]

I was using VLC in OSX on ibook g3 600
and the machine was not fast enough to play some movies smoothly
(sometimes even after getting cpu overclocked to 800MHz)

[ssam]

if you can up that to 512mb of ram you should find performance ok.

you might want to look at running xubunutu. or installing xfce on top of your install. this is a light weight windowmanager, and tends to make everything a bit faster.

[Flipper]

VLC for OSX.. too slow.. even with 512mem, it uses a lot of processor, memory is not the problem.. I even tried with OS9 and also slow..
Ubuntu is the best choice ;) i guess i'll try that xfce, how can i have gnome and xfce at the same time, so i can change between them?

[george_apan]

I believe mplayer (the terminal thing, I don't know about the GUI) consumes even less resources than VLC. Give that a try too. And I agree that XFCE would be a could idea too.

Just install the xubuntu-desktop package (or only xfce if you don't want all the stuff that xfce comes with) and you'll be able to pick which one you want on the GDM login screen if you press the "Session" button.

[m666]

:evil: NO GNOME OR KDE DEFINITELY. :evil:
I've been using xfce4 on pentium III 600MHz 192MB, but sometimes its a bit slow.(refreshing screen while switching workspaces, divxs played OK, though)
I am testing fluxbox and fvwm-crystal right now, so one of them will be installed on mentioned powermac.

[Flipper]

Mplayer (at least in gnome ) its a lot slower than vlc.

VLC is the only program (for me) that allows me to watch Xvid without breaks in my ibook G3 366mhz 192Ram, I will try installing the XFCE when i get home :)

i have a problem in my vlc, it only displays the subtutles (srt ) when it feels like doing so.. any solution to this?

If i install KDE, will it ask me to change in the "session" button as for the XFCE?

[m666]

VLC under OSX on my G3 had problem with subtitles.
It was displaying every second line of text or even worse
Switching to G4 helped ;)

[george_apan]

Mplayer (at least in gnome ) its a lot slower than vlc.
Maybe trying a different video output would help make mplayer faster? I don't have vlc installed right now and I can't make any kind of test though.
If i install KDE, will it ask me to change in the "session" button as for the XFCE?
Yep.

[Flipper]

VLC under OSX on my G3 had problem with subtitles.
It was displaying every second line of text or even worse
Switching to G4 helped ;)

I dont have problems in OSX with VLC and its subtitles, my problem was the breaks due to the processor.

and i cant switch to a G4 :(

GXine displays the subtitles perfectly but it breaks a little ( i guess its a little heavier than VLC )

[Flipper]

well i tried gnome, KDE and XFCE, as for the performance in VLC for opening xvid, All the same! (KDE) is a little slow though

[Jagged]

I have the same b&w g3 system. I have not yet installed Ubuntu on this system, but i have used the live cd, and was amazed at how much faster it was. Seeing as I already have osX on it I haven't really had a desire to switch over yet. I do run Ubuntu on many other g3 systems; all of which are iMacs which are much slower, and linux has new life breathed into them. They are going to used in an internet cafe.