[Test Report 1] Minimum System Requirement for Xubuntu 12.04 LTS

Bruno Benitez gridcube at gmail.com
Mon Jul 29 12:19:54 UTC 2013


Joan, kernel for non-PAE microprocessors was dropped since 12.10, last ISO
with non-PAE kernel support was 12.04, see the release notes
http://xubuntu.org/news/12-04-release/ :)


2013/7/29 Joan Advincula <mj.advincula at gmail.com>

> 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
>
> --
> xubuntu-devel mailing list
> xubuntu-devel at lists.ubuntu.com
> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/xubuntu-devel
>
>


-- 
Bruno.-
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