phd21,
Thanks for the information you have provided. I'll address your comments in detail below.
phd21 wrote: ⤴Wed Sep 26, 2018 3:04 pm
I am surprised that your Linux Mint 18.1 Mate edition was browsing slowly before, but having only 2gb of system memory (ram) originally is not much depending upon extension add-ons and the number of open tabs.
I wasn't surprised that it was initially not very quick. It was usable. That is until I loaded the last round of updates, which included the new kernel. Then it became unusable. I outlined that in this this thread I hijacked while I was hunting for a reason for the Molasses Functionality™ that I was suddenly experiencing.
viewtopic.php?f=49&t=276300
I think the new kernel did something to CPU and memory utilization management that caused the system to become useless. And that change did not revert when I reverted the kernel. I think the memory upgrade made that change work.
I actually have a couple pages from there open in tabs right now. Thanks for the pointer. I will look at that specific page later.
Another excellent option to improve overall system performance is to get and use an SSDrive (which in my humble opinion is the best speed improvement option). You can install or clone your Linux Mint Mate to an SSDrive and use the other drive (80gb) as a storage drive (data drive).
I'm using an old Dell Latitude D830 laptop which is not really conducive to upgrades beyond the memory or, maybe, a larger hard drive. I haven't looked to see if there is an affordable SSD to fit in a Latitude. When I have finished using it as my test bed I may buy a new battery for it, but as far as building a faster, more capable machine I have cases and hardware that I can assemble into a more modifiable and capable unit.
It would help to know more about your system setup. If you run "inxi -Fxzd" and "lsusb" from the console terminal prompt, highlight the results, copy and paste them back here, that should provide enough information.
Well, here you go:
System: Host: D830 Kernel: 4.4.0-53-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
Desktop: MATE 1.16.2 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
Distro: Linux Mint 18.1 Serena
Machine: System: Dell (portable) product: Latitude D830
Mobo: Dell model: 0HN341 Bios: Dell v: A15 date: 01/04/2010
CPU: Dual core Intel Core2 Duo T7300 (-MCP-) cache: 4096 KB
flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 7977
clock speeds: max: 2001 MHz 1: 1600 MHz 2: 2001 MHz
Graphics: Card: Intel Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (primary)
bus-ID: 00:02.0
Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
Resolution: 1680x1050@60.00hz, 1680x1050@59.95hz
GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel 965GM
GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 11.2.0 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio: Card-1 Intel 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller
driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.4.0-53-generic
Network: Card-1: Broadcom NetXtreme BCM5755M Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express
driver: tg3 v: 3.137 bus-ID: 09:00.0
IF: enp9s0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Card-2: Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection
driver: iwl3945 v: in-tree:s bus-ID: 0c:00.0
IF: wlp12s0 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives: HDD Total Size: 80.0GB (17.3% used)
ID-1: /dev/sda model: ST980813AS size: 80.0GB
Optical: /dev/sr0 model: TSST DVD+-RW TS-L632D
rev: DE04 dev-links: cdrom,cdrw,dvd,dvdrw
Features: speed: 24x multisession: yes
audio: yes dvd: yes rw: cd-r,cd-rw,dvd-r state: running
Partition: ID-1: / size: 72G used: 12G (17%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
ID-2: swap-1 size: 2.13GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda5
RAID: No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 51.0C mobo: N/A
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info: Processes: 218 Uptime: 2:33 Memory: 2288.8/3942.2MB
Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35
Bus 002 Device 006: ID 046d:c018 Logitech, Inc. Optical Wheel Mouse
Bus 002 Device 004: ID 0461:0010 Primax Electronics, Ltd HP PR1101U / Primax PMX-KPR1101U Keyboard
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 007 Device 003: ID 0b97:7772 O2 Micro, Inc. OZ776 CCID Smartcard Reader
Bus 007 Device 002: ID 0b97:7761 O2 Micro, Inc. Oz776 1.1 Hub
Bus 007 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 006 Device 002: ID 18c3:6255
Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 05e3:0722 Genesys Logic, Inc. SD/MMC card reader
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Why are you using Linux Mint 18.1 versus 18.3? I highly recommend updating to version 18.3 easy to do through your Mint Update Manager (Click "Edit" in toolbar). Also, many people coming from MS Windows have installed a 32-bit Linux Mint operating system when in fact their CPU is 64-bit and the results of the "inxi -Fxzd" will tell us and you if you have the correct Linux Mint installed.
I am using 18.1 because when I went looking for "current" information on Linux distros that is what came up. The last time I tried was back in 2010 or so and I tried Ubuntu and Red Hat or Fedora, I don't remember which. I remember reading about and maybe trying BSD some time before that, but my memory is sketchy on how far I went into it. So I just grabbed 18.1 and used a bootable USB tutorial (that was bleeding edge nonsense last time I did anything with bootable media) and installed it on my old D830.
I haven't kept up with the technology in the last few years but i am well aware of 64-bit hardware and OS's. I can discuss the legacy memory assignment issues in the 4th GB of RAM in 32-bit systems if you want. You're not that bored, are you?
In any event, I am not wedded to any particular edition of Linux Mint or even to Linux Mint, per se. But my purpose in this is to get a Linux install up and running in an analogous manner to my Windows 7 box.
And, since that seems to be misinterpreted every time I say it: No, I don't want a clone of the Windows 7 desktop, controls or anything else. I want, preferably, the same applications configured to do the same things with the same data and with the same convenience. I like some customization and I like quick launch icons. But I am not trying to make a Linux install into a windows look alike.
And, I despise the newer Windows tile on a tablet design ethos. I'd rather work in a Windows 3.1 workspace than scroll through tiles trying to find the one icon that I'm looking for in a sea of similar icons. I could rant. And rant some more.
I also noticed that you show that you are using Linux Kernel 4.4... when there are important security updates in the newer Linux Kernels. I would highly recommend installing a newer Linux Kernel using the Mint Update Manager. I have Linux Kernel 4.15.0-33 currently installed in my Linux Mint 18.3 system and it is working well.
As I stated, I suspect the kernel update is what screwed up my D830. I installed it and three other updates and Molasses Functionality™ was achieved. Now that I have enough memory to deal with whatever it did, I will probably do the upgrade. But I want to make some progress on my project before I have to spend another several days researching and unscrewing or solving the problems an update can obviously cause.
While I agree that security is important, I would argue that a less secure computer that runs is better than a fully secure computer that doesn't. I will be ranting about computer security at some point. It will annoy plenty of people, but I'll feel better.