Linux Cookbook

Tips for speeding up Linux

Lifehacker.com is a good source for all kinds of tips, but this one is nice for us Linux users: Slim Down and Speed Up Linux points to some basic and not so basic suggestions for making Linux run even better/faster.

And there are more links to more Lifehacker.com articles, from the article:

• Speed up GNOME menu—A simple but noticable tweak, especially on older computers.
• Speed up OpenOffice—Also applies to Windows and Mac version.
• Speed up Ubuntu Boot and Shutdown Process—This guide applies mainly to Ubuntu 7.04, "Feisty Fawn," and earlier versions.
• Give Ubuntu a speed boost—Note that some of the tweaks in the linked article could, if done improperly, leave a system unbootable, so proceed with caution.
• Change GNOME Menus to Use PCMan File Manager—If you don't want to make a complete PCMan transition, this trick launches the browser from GNOME's top bar menu.

Check them out and let me know how they work!

More about swap partitions...

Swap space is one of those things that you've never heard of if you use WIndows or OS X, but that you'll hear about the first time you try to install Linux. There are two approaches to swap space: simple and complicated. Read this article, All about Linux swap space, including the comments, if you want to know more about swap space, what it does, how it works, and what you should do about it.

Or just take the defaults when you install Linux and don't worry about it. That's what I do, mostly.

Linux Performance Tuning

If you're interested in tweaking your system, check out A three-pronged attack on performance, an article by Uruguyan systems engineer Federico Kereki, and posted on the ultimate Linux portal, Linux.com.

Chances are good that whatever your hardware, Linux will run faster than Windows XP or Vista. But that doesn't mean you can't improve performance over the default installation, as Federico spells out in this hands-on how-to.