Minimize Resource Usage

[GolemdX]

Hi. I have an ubuntu server that's currently under load, and because of my family seeing no point in a computer with no interface, it has ubuntu-desktop loaded right on it.

No matter how ugly, I want to know how to minimize resource usage of GNOME without removing important features.

Any help is appreciated (again).

[urukrama]

If you want something light, don't use Gnome. Go for Openbox, or a similar light window manager (Icewm, Fluxbox, JWM, etc.). Have a look at my guide (link in signature) to figure out how to set it up. Openbox is light, simple, and can look really good too. Though it might seem too complext at first, setting it up isn't really that hard. If you don't even want to do that, have a look at LXDE, which uses Openbox.

[GolemdX]

That's the problem. My dad's JUST gotten used to Gnome, if I switched it on him he would probably get somewhat angry how things are different.

I'll think about Openbox for another weak computer though...

[XubuRoxMySox]

Even more reason to switch if a family member is most familiar with something like Windows.

LXDE is so extremely lightweight (much lighter even than Xfce) that it has been "accused" of not being a real desktop environment at all! But it's completely graphical (see attached screenshot) with "clickable" icons on a familiar-looking desktop.

Application icons can be put either on the desktop or in the taskbar (or both if you wish) by simply dragging them from the file manager to the desktop, or right-clicking the toolbar.

Super-simple, super-lightweight, very newbie-friendly.

I ordinarily run Crunchbang (no desktop environment at all, just the Openbox window manager), but it's completely unfamiliar to newbies ("Omygosh, there's nothing to click on!??"). Lightweight to be sure though... but I was surprised to discover that my LXDE desktop is no less lightweight and speedy than the bare-bones Openbox is! Amaaaaazing. It made me a fanboy right away.

I use it on a shared computer (old, too, only 512 RAM) so that anyone at the studio can use the computer. Most of them know only Winblows or Mac, but they use the "community computer" with equal ease and a sense of familiarity... so much so that they don't even know they're using Linux unless I tell them. And I usually only tell them when they offer compliments on how speedy and simple that ancient old dinosaur computer is.

I'm proud to say that it has won a few people over to Linux, too.

-Robin

[urukrama]

That's the problem. My dad's JUST gotten used to Gnome, if I switched it on him he would probably get somewhat angry how things are different.

I'll think about Openbox for another weak computer though...

You could configure Openbox in such a way that it resembles Gnome, so that your father doesn't really notice the difference or will have no problems adjusting. You could use the gnome-panel in Openbox (just add it to your autostart file), or configure another panel to look like Gnome's.

Or you could switch the window manager in Gnome from Metacity to Openbox. That will also make some difference on systems with less resources.