Performance, Unwanted packages, and more

[Eero Tamminen]

Hi,

On Tuesday 12 August 2008, Cody A.W. Somerville wrote:
> Hello Everyone,
>
> == Performance ==
>
> I've started to do some profiling and stuff with performance. I've
> started a wiki page which you can find at
> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Xubuntu/Development/Performance

Memory
=====

I think the best number for memory usage is the "used" number on
the "-/+ buffers/cached" line in the "free" output.

For checking individual processes memory usage you could use
gnome-system-monitor after enabling "Writable" column in its output.
If you don't have processes with wildly varying libraries (like is Xubuntu
goal), that is the most relevant number.


Performance
=======

What is bootrecord?  packages.ubuntu.com didn't know any package
named like that or containing a binary named like it.

Btw. Measuring is of course the first step, but have you given any
thoughts on how you're going to profile/analyze where the time is spent?

Probably the best option currently for analyzing is Bootchart which shows
how long and which processes use CPU or IO in bootup (it's inaccurate, but
otherwise nice):
  http://www.bootchart.org/


If you want to analyze screen re-draws (they can indicate lot of
inefficiencient operations in applications startup), I'll recommend
following tools from maemo:
- xresponse for logging screen updates:
  http://maemo.org/development/tools/doc/diablo/xresponse/
- script for visualizing where on screen the updates happen with timings:
  http://maemo.org/development/tools/doc/diablo/xresponse-visualize/

Note that you cannot run these from the same UI as what you're measuring as
xresponse monitors all screen updates, instead use e.g. SSH connection from
another machine.

The sources for them are available from repository listed here:
  http://maemo.org/development/tools/


> == Strategy Document ==
>
> The Xubuntu strategy document has successfully made it through its first
> reading by the Community Council at the last CC meeting. I'll be making a
> few small changes/updates and sending a final final final what ever you
> want to call it to the CC via e-mail for final approval. Please feel free
> to take another read over and send in feedback - making changes to it
> before the final approval will be much easier than after.

The machine profiles look a bit funny.  IMHO profiles should be common RAM
amount & CPU speed combinations and I think normally computers with
the listed CPU speeds have (much) less RAM.  How many people have for
example 333Mhz machine with 192MB of RAM?

(my 333Mhz machine for example has 96MB of RAM with all it's RAM slots
filled and doesn't run Xubuntu :-))


	- Eero