[Test Report 1] Minimum System Requirement for Xubuntu 12.04 LTS
Joan Advincula
mj.advincula at gmail.com
Mon Jul 29 08:48:28 UTC 2013
By the way, I think we also need to clarify the CPU type and whatnot.
(There are still lots of things about CPU's that I don't understand.)
I tried installing 13.04 on an old IBM ThinkPad and it wouldn't install
because the CPU is missing something, apparently. (It runs on and Intel
Pentium M 1600 MHz.)
Something about pae. I'm still Googling that part though so this might be
irrelevant.
- Joan
On Tue, Jul 23, 2013 at 2:42 PM, PK <pliniusminor at gmail.com> wrote:
> I agree with Ali Linx, that 512 MB RAM should be considered as a workable
> minimum for Xubuntu. If it gets lower than that, Lubuntu or even mini's
> like AntiX or Puppy Linux are much more suitable.
>
> In my opinion, the minimal system requirements should be aimed at a
> practical and workable system, not at a theoretical minimum that will, at
> best, cause an unbearably slow and sluggish system. Underpromise and
> overdeliver, that's what makes people happy.... Not the other way round.
> :-)
>
> I have no figures to back my statement, but I do have the experience of
> seven years of fulltime Linux use on many computers.
>
> Regards, Pjotr.
>
>
> 2013/7/23 Jeff Hanson <jephhanson at gmail.com>
>
>> Could you have actually opened the System Monitor to see how much ram and
>> how much swap was being used at the time, or did I miss something? I just
>> wouldn't like to assume that it is going over etc based on overall
>> performance, when it's easy to see how much is being used in real time and
>> from what apps.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 12:15 AM, Ali Linx (amjjawad) <amjjawad at gmail.com
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 8:59 AM, Micah Gersten <micahg at ubuntu.com>wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 07/16/2013 11:33 PM, Ali Linx (amjjawad) wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> *Information:*
>>>> - Xubuntu 12.04.1.ISO
>>>> - LiveUSB Created by UNetbootin
>>>> - Installation on Real Hardware - http://phillw.net/hardware/BnA9pw11
>>>> - RAM Used: 242MB - http://i44.tinypic.com/a4ug5s.jpg
>>>> - Note that: LiveUSB is faster than LiveCD
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *Test Case:*
>>>>
>>>> 1. Machine has two HDD1 and HDD2
>>>> 2. HDD1 is Samsung 20GB IDE (Lubuntu 13.10 Saucy is installed on
>>>> the whole HDD).
>>>> 3. HHD2 is Segate 80GB IDE
>>>> 4. Booting the machine from the LiveUSB
>>>> 5. Choosing "Try Xubuntu without installation"
>>>> 6. Booted successfully to the Live Desktop
>>>> 7. http://i44.tinypic.com/2hf5tgj.jpg
>>>> 8. The Live Desktop was slow and I had to wait few seconds until
>>>> Right Click > Menu shows up.
>>>> 9. Ran GParted to turn SWAP OFF.
>>>> 10. Once SWAP is OFF, the machine became VERY SLOW. If I press
>>>> CAPS Lock, the LED on the Keyboards needs few mins to be ON.
>>>> 11. Obviously, because Physical RAM was already being used (FULLY)
>>>> - http://i44.tinypic.com/2hf5tgj.jpg - then once SWAP is OFF,
>>>> definitely the whole machine will stop responding and this is very easy to
>>>> re-produce (I'm expert to make old machine not usable and not responding).
>>>> 12. Clicked on "Install Xubuntu" from the Desktop
>>>> 13. I waited for 30 mins and the machine is totally not responding
>>>> and the mouse pointer is stuck on the circle icon (when the system is
>>>> processing something, the pointer turns to be a circle - I'm sure you know
>>>> what I mean).
>>>> 14. I had to reboot the machine.
>>>> 15. Repeated the same above steps - same result
>>>> 16. Even though the Live Desktop did not crash after 30mins of
>>>> waiting, the whole system/machine is not usable and not responding so
>>>> whether it crashes or not, same - you can not do anything and you must
>>>> reboot.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *Summary:*
>>>> Having all the above said, long story short, there is *NO WAY* to
>>>> 'Try' Xubuntu on 256MB of RAM nor 'Installing' it with 256MB of RAM. Again,
>>>> see this: http://i44.tinypic.com/2hf5tgj.jpg
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *Suggestion:*
>>>> I think by far, it is very much safe to say that the *Minimum RAM*required to Try Xubuntu and/or Install it is 512MB AT LEAST.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *Please Note:*
>>>> You need to understand that having a pre-exist SWAP Partition is NOT
>>>> the default/standard case for all users. Users may have only one HDD. User
>>>> may have not installer another Linux System on a different or same HDD so
>>>> they do have SWAP.
>>>>
>>>> Also, please note that it is NOT advisable to ask from a new user to
>>>> create a SWAP Partition just to install Xubuntu on LESS than 512MB RAM.
>>>> This is not helpful at all, IMHO.
>>>>
>>>> Having that said, in order to do a real test with a worse case
>>>> scenario, you need to follow the steps I have done to get the same results
>>>> (SWAP OFF).
>>>>
>>>> *By the way ... if zRAM was enabled by default, I'm sure the results
>>>> would be different - just saying *:)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *What Next?*
>>>> On the same machine, I am going to increase the RAM used by system by
>>>> entering BIOS and: http://i44.tinypic.com/a4ug5s.jpg
>>>>
>>>> I will set it to 64MB so the RAM that will be used by the system will
>>>> be 432MB RAM. I know what you are thinking. There is 16MB any Linux OS I
>>>> have tried on that machine can not read/detect that is why the usable RAM
>>>> by the system is 432MB not 448MB. Yes, I will turn SWAP OFF as well.
>>>>
>>>> Ok, I have tried that and I did not work.
>>>>
>>>> I had to set the RAM to 464MB so that I can install Xubuntu 12.04 from
>>>> the LiveUSB while I'm on the Live Desktop (Try Xubuntu without installation
>>>> > Live Desktop).
>>>>
>>>> and ...
>>>>
>>>> Installation is successful - Time:13mins
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *After Installation Xubuntu 12.04*
>>>>
>>>> This is what I did after the installation:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 1. sudo nano /etc/fstab
>>>> 2. Removed SWAP entry
>>>> 3. Saved
>>>> 4. Rebooted
>>>> 5. sudo apt-get install zram-config
>>>> 6. http://i40.tinypic.com/n2cqq9.jpg
>>>>
>>>> I'm currently upgrading my system:
>>>>
>>>> sudo apt-get upgrade && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
>>>>
>>>> Now, Xubuntu 12.04 installation has NO Physical SWAP Partition.
>>>> The SWAP that you see here: http://i40.tinypic.com/n2cqq9.jpg
>>>> This is from zram-config
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZRam
>>>> https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/zram-config
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *End of Test Report 1*
>>>>
>>>> Thank you for reading!
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> "All of us are smarter than any one of us."
>>>> *Best Regards,*
>>>> *amjjawad <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/amjjawad/>*
>>>> *Start Ubuntu<https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Lubuntu/CommunicationsTeam/WOWLubuntu/StartUbuntu>
>>>> *
>>>> *My Own Business <http://alilinx.blogspot.com/>*
>>>>
>>>> I don't think that anyone says to run Xubuntu with 256MB RAM with no
>>>> swap partition.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I have volunteered to do this test because the Minimum System
>>> Requirement on the Website is not correct IMHO and as Lyz said, no one has
>>> done such test for a long time so I guess it is good to have some data
>>> regarding this.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Creating a swap partition is a part of the standard install IIRC.
>>>> Also, this can be a swap file and does not need to be a separate disk
>>>> (though I don't know if the installer handles this properly or not).
>>>
>>>
>>> NO one said swap should NOT be created. You misunderstood the whole
>>> point.
>>> SWAP partition will be created 'during' the installation process NOT
>>> 'before' it :) hope it is clear now and I guess my report is very much
>>> detailed unless I missed something that need further explanation.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Having said that, I don't have an issue saying that the minimum to run
>>>> Xubuntu is 512MB at this point.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Good. Because saying on the website 256MB is not correct :)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Even at 512MB, swap will be needed, but I don't think that's a problem.
>>>>
>>>> Micah
>>>>
>>>>
>>> For me to disable swap and edit fstab is an extreme move to test how far
>>> I could go with my installation. That was an added step, ignore it please
>>> if this will cause any confusion.
>>>
>>> Summary: Because I have previous installed Linux with SWAP Partition, I
>>> had to disable it 'before' installing Xubuntu.
>>>
>>> Xubuntu Installer will create SWAP Partition DURING the installation
>>> process NOT before it ... unless of course ... someone will create his/her
>>> partitions 'before' the installation using GParted and choose 'Something
>>> Else' from this step: http://i40.tinypic.com/14jx9h4.jpg
>>>
>>> However, this is not the standard approach. New Users will not create
>>> their partitions 'before' the installation.
>>>
>>> Definitely, having a swap partition created 'before' installing Xubuntu
>>> will help, no doubt about it but this is not a general case. Only those who
>>> are experienced enough can do it. When you mention on the official website
>>> a minimum system requirement, you need to keep the very new users in mind :)
>>>
>>> Thank you for your feedback!
>>> and you are welcome :)
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> "All of us are smarter than any one of us."
>>>
>>> *Best Regards,*
>>> *amjjawad <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/amjjawad/>*
>>> *Start Ubuntu<https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Lubuntu/CommunicationsTeam/WOWLubuntu/StartUbuntu>
>>> *
>>> *My Own Business <http://alilinx.blogspot.com/>*
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> xubuntu-devel mailing list
>>> xubuntu-devel at lists.ubuntu.com
>>> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/xubuntu-devel
>>>
>>>
>>
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>>
>
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>
--
Joan Advincula
Mozilla Rep, https://reps.mozilla.org/u/jadvincula/
@iamMJae <http://twitter.com/iamMJae> | http://jauntyskipper.wordpress.com
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