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Tuning KDE5 for Low Spec Hardware

Posted: 17 Mar 2017, 23:15
by Bogomips
Tuning KDE5. Limiting factors: Memory, CPU & Graphics Card.
Memory: 879 MiB
Graphics Processor: GeForce 6150SE nForce 430
Graphics Clock: 425 Mhz
Memory Clock: 800 Mhz
  1. Redirect /tmp to a Real Filesystem. Details to be found under Live Running here: http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php? ... 695#p43816
  2. All modules can be run on loops from Real FS, in which case seems to run slowly but surely:

    Code: Select all

    # Modules activated during boot time:
    /mnt/isoloop/porteus/base/000-kernel.xzm
    /mnt/isoloop/porteus/base/001-core.xzm
    /mnt/isoloop/porteus/base/002-xorg.xzm
    /mnt/isoloop/porteus/base/003-kde5.xzm
    /mnt/sda10/kd64xzm/flashplayer-plugin-23.0.0.207-x86_64-1.xzm
    /mnt/sda10/kd64xzm/geany-1.25-x86_64-1_slack.xzm
    /mnt/sda10/kd64xzm/gecko-mediaplayer-1.0.9-x86_64-1alien.xzm
    /mnt/sda10/kd64xzm/lt_080816-x86_64.xzm
    /mnt/sda10/kd64xzm/nvidia-304.131_3.2.1-x86_64-2bp.xzm
    /mnt/sda10/kd64xzm/terminator-0.97-x86_64-1sl.xzm
    
  3. Swap Space. Create Swap Partition/File, which in present case > 1.4 MiB. Brought swap space up to 1.6 MiB by creating a GiB swap file:

    Code: Select all

    guest@porteus:~$ free -m
                  total        used        free      shared  buff/cache   available
    Mem:            879         561          60          60         257          80
    Swap:          1668        1028         640
    
    guest@porteus:~$ /sbin/swapon -s
    Filename                                Type            Size    Used    Priority
    /dev/sda11                              partition       130044  130044  -1
    /dev/sda7                               partition       530108  530024  -2
    /mnt/sda9/GiBswap                       file            1048572 400976  -3
    
  4. Running Graphics Driver in RAM will show Improvement, but not as much as that from managing to get KDE Module into RAM: (Extract from /var/log/porteus-livedbg)

    Code: Select all

    # Modules activated during boot time:
    /memory/copy2ram/000-kernel.xzm
    /memory/copy2ram/001-core.xzm
    /memory/copy2ram/002-xorg.xzm
    /memory/copy2ram/003-kde5.xzm
    /mnt/sda10/xzm4.9/64kd134/flashplayer-plugin-23.0.0.207-x86_64-1.xzm
    /mnt/sda10/xzm4.9/64kd134/geany-1.25-x86_64-1_slack.xzm
    /mnt/sda10/xzm4.9/64kd134/gecko-mediaplayer-1.0.9-x86_64-1alien.xzm
    /mnt/sda10/xzm4.9/64kd134/kde-baseapps-16.08.3-x86_64-1alien.xzm
    /mnt/sda10/xzm4.9/64kd134/lt_080816-x86_64.xzm
    /memory/copy2ram/nvidia-304.134_3.2.2-x86_64-1bp.xzm
    /mnt/sda10/xzm4.9/64kd134/terminator-0.97-x86_64-1sl.xzm
    
  5. Swappiness. Toss up between value of 30 & 40.

    Code: Select all

    guest@porteus:~$ cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness 
    30
    
  6. Live System: Disk Space
    • Session Starts with 32M of Disk Space Used Up

      Code: Select all

      guest@porteus:~$ ls -lh $i/Greys.Anatomy.S13E16.720p.HDTV.X264-DIMENSION.mkv 
      -rw-r--r-- 1 guest users 846M Mar 17 17:29 p1/tmp/iso/Greys.Anatomy.S13E16.720p.HDTV.X264-DIMENSION.mkv
      
    • Major Culprits

      Code: Select all

      guest@porteus:~$ ls -lh .cache/*.kcache
      -rw-r--r-- 1 guest users 11M Dec 15 20:37 .cache/icon-cache.kcache
      -rw-r--r-- 1 guest users 17M Dec 15 20:37 .cache/plasma_theme_breeze-dark_v5.19.kcache
      
    • Move to Real Filesystem & Symlinking Doesn't seem to Work

      Code: Select all

      guest@porteus:~$ mv .cache/*.kcache /mnt/sda10/tmp/kcache/
      guest@porteus:~$ ln -sf /mnt/sda10/tmp/kcache/icon-cache.kcache .cache/icon-cache.kcache
      guest@porteus:~$ ln -sf /mnt/sda10/tmp/kcache/plasma_theme_breeze-dark_v5.19.kcache  .cache/plasma_theme_breeze-dark_v5.19.kcache
      
      guest@porteus:~$ ls -l .cache/*.kcache
      lrwxrwxrwx 1 guest users 44 Dec 15 22:41 .cache/icon-cache.kcache -> /mnt/sda10/tmp/kcache/icon-cache.kcache
      lrwxrwxrwx 1 guest users 64 Dec 15 22:42 .cache/plasma_theme_breeze-dark_v5.19.kcache -> /mnt/sda10/tmp/kcache/plasma_theme_breeze-dark_v5.19.kcache
      
      guest@porteus:~$ df -h .
      Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
      aufs            220M   32M  189M  15% /
      
      Despite the Move not throwing up an error, still left with 32M shortfall. :(
      • Resolved by Reboot after setting up Rootcopy (Running in AF mode. Changes not saved. kd_rcp is Rootcopy Directory)

        Code: Select all

        guest@porteus:~$ mkdir /mnt/sda4/kd_rcp/home/guest/.cache
        guest@porteus:~$ ln -sf /mnt/sda10/tmp/kcache/icon-cache.kcache /mnt/sda4/kd_rcp/home/guest/.cache
        guest@porteus:~$ ln -sf /mnt/sda10/tmp/kcache/plasma_theme_breeze-dark_v5.19.kcache  /mnt/sda4/kd_rcp/home/guest/.cache
        
        guest@porteus:~$ ls -l  /mnt/sda4/kd_rcp/home/guest/.cache
        total 0
        lrwxrwxrwx 1 guest users 44 Dec 16 13:42 icon-cache.kcache -> /mnt/sda10/tmp/kcache/icon-cache.kcache
        lrwxrwxrwx 1 guest users 64 Dec 16 13:43 plasma_theme_breeze-dark_v5.19.kcache -> /mnt/sda10/tmp/kcache/plasma_theme_breeze-dark_v5.19.kcache
        
      • Dereferenced Symlinks following Reboot

        Code: Select all

        guest@porteus:~$ date -u
        Fri Dec 16 19:29:25 UTC 2016
        guest@porteus:~$ ls -lh /mnt/sda10/tmp/kcache/
        total 28M
        -rw-r--r-- 1 guest users 11M Dec 16 19:27 icon-cache.kcache
        -rw-r--r-- 1 guest users 17M Dec 16 19:27 plasma_theme_breeze-dark_v5.19.kcache
        
        guest@porteus:~$ df -h .
        Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
        aufs            220M  4.9M  216M   3% /
        
        ^ And 28M of Live Disk Space clawed back. 8)
    • System Settings>Workspace>Desktop Behavior
      • Workspace
        Image
      • Desktop Effects
        • Top Half
          Image
        • Bottom Half
          Image
      • Screen Edges
        Image
      • Screen Locking (Optional)
        Image
    Enjoy!