Hi everyone,

It's been a while since I posted on here. I'm still pretty dumb about how to deal with computer problems, so I periodically have to turn to the pro's for help.

I'm running Ubuntu 13.10 on an old HP Pavilion Slimline. I managed to work through a host of issues with installing the system and the follow-on screen freezes. It usually works pretty well. I'm a grad student so I have to do a lot of research that involves having pdf's open alongside various documents, with several Firefox browser windows open at the same time. In these conditions, the computer basically melts down and sends a bug report. The windows kind of flutter on and off an shake around, go blank and then come back to life so I can continue working. This usually takes a minute or so, and I sometimes lose some work.

I think what is happening is that the operating system is using up all of the available memory. Can anyone tell me what to do about this? It's pretty annoying.

Also, the machine is set up to boot Kubuntu, which appears to work a lot better. I would rather have Ubuntu working correctly though. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Terry