Sunday, June 2, 2024

Linux Mint Installation

 Linux Mint Installation is painfully slow but with Debian LMDE it is pretty smooth bit similar to Calamara Installer but different.

I do not know why?

Reasons may be;

1. It does not have world wide mirrors.

2. It takes ages to look for codecs.

3. It is basically the Ubuntu Installer padded up with graphic.

4. Unlike Debian Calamara Installer the panel cannot be expanded to see my hard disks partition which is 28 in number.

5. I think mouse pointer takes a lot of memory.

6. Deleting and making a new partition is pretty slow.

7. I have 7 partitions to review (for installation, no /var) before hitting the OK button but can see only 4 partitions.

8. I do not rush things, so it is not a worry.

9. Fortunately it does not direct me to its home page.

10. How it updates I do not know.

11. I only want to see how it configures the GRUB file.

It failed to configure GRUB and missed  both Manjaro and Debian and detected only Ubuntu.

I did reinstall Debian and got the GRUB file in order.

I think if one is having multiple distributions, Debian should be installed last to get the GRUB Efi in order.


12. I do not fiddle with Gnome basic or default configuration. 

It suits me fine and why fiddle?

This so called customization is a gimmick for Newbies.

There is a father son file hierarchy and everything is organized.

I can understand it for a Server where resources have to be allocated equitably for better management. 

In a desktop environment in a family set up if each individual is given a user name an a password of their choice, what matters is the applications available for their consumption.

I install several web browsers from light to heavy for my work. If one browser is slow I open a another browser and do my work on that.

What matters is the RAM. I have 8GB RAM (it was 4GB for a long time) and without playing games, it can handle numerous task one and the same time.

Daemon behind allocate resources as needed and with a healthy SWAP partition nothing get choked.

That is the strength and the basis of efficiency of Linux.

Microsoft Windows won't be able to handle this with padded up 64GB RAM.

That is the difference and that is why I use Linux.

There is no junk in my computer.

So I do not won!t a Snapshot of my Computer.

Each year by December, I take 6 weeks off the computer and look (Debian has two year cycle of update) new distributions and test them.

13. I tested the snapshot utility.

After one hour of copying it said there is no space for the snapshot.

I promptly deleted the half baked snapshot (save space for Linux mint).

The home partition has less than 1000 files or items and it is only 115MB. It has 17.3GB space from 20GB allocated to the home partition.

I always check this and if the (mainly due to iso images) if the balance space is nearing 2GB, I delete few of the tested images.

I use AbiWord for my books they are always less than 300KB and never in MBs. 

That is the beauty of AbiWord. 

So this customization is a big joke.

I just installed Window Maker in my Gnome Desktop and (it is a window manager) and fiddled with it with minimal strain on the computer RAM.

This game of windows within windows is not a creative concept.

One should use different Workplaces for different tasks not within windows.

Mint has only one workplace, I wonder whether I can make two work places.

I need maximum of 3 workplaces.

Any distribution without workplaces do not entice me.


14. I think my reporting of Linux would end with this.

Installing Manjaro

I have never tried Arch except ArcoLinux briefly.

Today I decided to Install Manjaro on my NUC.

1. It is pretty good.

2. Its broweser is Vivald which beging to like.

3. Wifi Configurations quick.

4. It has USB formatter.

5. It has Gparted.

6. GIMP is preinstalled.

7. It can be installed with Office package.

8. It has AbiWord but one has to download.

7. It has OpenOffice 

8. Lest you use Microsoft office online.

9. It is a mature distribution.

10. Its software is Pakman

11. Installation is complete and need to see it pick up the Debian already installed (Ubuntu now shuns Debian).

 

Stacer Utility

Stacer Utility

This Utility is something one should have on your desktop especially if you are playing games.

I am installing Ubuntu 24.04 for the Umpteenth time.

I see only the arrows and if I click the button on the right I get terminal activity.

But no idea about the CPU, Memory usage and Diska usage

This is where the Stacer comes.

It is sitting my RAM and gives a running commentary.

1. CPU 65 to 70%.

2. Memory usage 1.5GB out of *GB RAM.

3. Disk Usage is 350MB so far 

4. Download speed is 0 bytes to 900 bytes

5. Upload Speed.  I  tried jitsi and it went up to about 500Kb/sec

6. My NUC has 2 CPU Cores

7. CPU usage 0 bytes 

8. I started using Firefox, CPU went up to 90% usage and settled down to 65%.

9. I tried LibreOffice both Memory and CPU usage went up.

10. Finally I tried AbiWord it almost did not show any chages, may be few MB of memory.

This is why I use AbiWord, it is a powerful Word Processor but uses minimum of resources. 

11. Still only 500MB filled of 3.7GB total usage of the disk.

I think I should go for a cup of tea.