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Tater
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by Tater »

It just seems weird that a two core 2ghz processor with 2 gb of ram should be struggling to display and scroll web pages using any browser. I'm forced to do most of the research on my windows machine because the linux machine is just so laggy that I can't waste that much time.

I'm off to find the last few things I updated and un-update them until my system comes out of the molasses.
Well. Before my computer got really slow, it had been using all of it's physical RAM. That was BEFORE it got slow and laggy. I do not know why it suddenly got slow and laggy, I suspect the kernel update did it, but reverting did not fix the slow down. And once it became slow and laggy it was showing only half of the RAM being used and no swap... Before the slow down I ordered a 4 gb set of RAM for the Dell Latitude D830 from Amazon for the amazing price of $26 delivered to my door.

As I was getting frustrated and about to start uninstalling everything I had installed until the machine started working as it had when the OS was freshly installed, I figured I would throw the RAM in and see what effect it would have. It "fixed" my computer. It is usable now. I can run video, browse the internet, type this post. All at the same time. It is a computer again.

Now, the memory did not actually "fix" anything. What it did is make whatever the OS was doing under 2 gb of RAM actually "work". Linux Mint Mate 18.1 is supposedly able to run on half a gb of RAM. That means something in my install wasn't right. It had been working, slow but working, and then it suddenly wasn't. That means something got changed in an update or install that broke the memory / CPU management.

If you are a reader who found this thread while researching why your computer has developed Molasses Functionality™ all I can say is it may be related to a change that effected how your install is managing your RAM or CPU. The 2 gb of RAM on this laptop could run browsers and play videos under Windows XP and then under Linux Mint Mate 18.1 and then it couldn't. I am curious as to why that was. I suspect it was the kernel update. And reverting to the prior kernel did not fix whatever it broke (It was probably something that fixed an issue for other systems, these things are a balancing act). So, I'm going to be very cautious of updates from here on out.

And before anyone can scream at me about system security, I really am not buying. The fact is, I am not running missile command, here. I do not have anything on this computer that isn't more readily harvested off a hundred different targets that are way more attractive to a hacker than a single PC containing pictures of stuff for sale on eBay and Craig's List. I will wait and see if there are bug reports from people with my set up before I update any system files. There may be no computer more secure than one that doesn't work, but there is also no more useless computer.

So. I need to get some programs installed and settings tweaked so that I have both my computers set up to do all the same things. I know there is a new frustration here somewhere that needs my attention. Ooh, I haven't started in on printing yet...
Current victims:
Mint 21 Cinnamon on an MSI B450-a Pro Max AMD Ryzen 5 / 3.6 Ghz 6 Core (12 Thread) w/ 16 GB Ram

Mint 21 XFCE on a Dell Latitude D830 Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 / 2 GHz w/ 4 GB Ram

OS Reinstall Counter is set at 8
phd21
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by phd21 »

HI Tater,

Glad to hear that adding more memory helped because it usually does. 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.

Speed up your Mint 19! - Easy Linux tips project (please turn off ad blocking on this great website)
- I do not recommend doing the #8 option "put /tmp on tmpfs" unless you have a lot of system memory ram.
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/3

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). You can get a 128gb or 256gb SSDrive for $30us - $60us or less. I have a Silicon Power (SP) 128gb ($28us Amazon.com) and there is a 256gb ($40us Amazon.com) that work great, I was recently donated (rewarded - gifted) a Patriot Burst SSD 480gb ($72 NewEgg.com - was on sale for less when I got it) that works very well too. If your computer does not have Sata drive connections, then get a "Sata to IDE/PATA adapter" ($5us-10us).

Amazon.com: $20-$60 - 4 Stars & Up / Internal Solid State Drives / Data Storage
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_p_36 ... h-price=60

Back when you first posted I asked you to provide the results from a couple console terminal commands, I cannot see where you have done that yet and it would help us to understand your system better.
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.
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 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.

Hope this helps ...
Phd21: Mint 20 Cinnamon & xKDE (Mint Xfce + Kubuntu KDE) & KDE Neon 64-bit (new based on Ubuntu 20.04) Awesome OS's, Dell Inspiron I5 7000 (7573) 2 in 1 touch screen, Dell OptiPlex 780 Core2Duo E8400 3GHz,4gb Ram, Intel 4 Graphics.
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Tater
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by Tater »

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.
Speed up your Mint 19! - Easy Linux tips project (please turn off ad blocking on this great website)
- I do not recommend doing the #8 option "put /tmp on tmpfs" unless you have a lot of system memory ram.
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/3
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.
Current victims:
Mint 21 Cinnamon on an MSI B450-a Pro Max AMD Ryzen 5 / 3.6 Ghz 6 Core (12 Thread) w/ 16 GB Ram

Mint 21 XFCE on a Dell Latitude D830 Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 / 2 GHz w/ 4 GB Ram

OS Reinstall Counter is set at 8
phd21
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by phd21 »

Hi "Tater",

I do not see anything wrong with the results of the "inxi -Fxzd" console terminal command, so that is a good thing. And, you did install the 64-bit version which is also good.

When I was using a computer that only had 2gb of ram system memory everything was so much slower especially browsers with a lot of tabs open. Even adding the max amount of ram system memory on my current ancient under-powered system to 4gb made a huge improvement in overall performance and stability.

But, the best improvement in overall system performance was achieved by adding an SSDrive which literally made an incredibly positive difference everything was instantly much faster. I think any SSDrive can fit into any Laptop or computer, but you may need a "mounting kit" depending upon any existing drive cradle(s) or drive bay(s). On my Dell Optiplex 780 Ultra Small Form Factor (USFF) computer the internal drive cradle was larger (taller higher) than the SSDrive, but the SSDrive's mounting screw holes matched the drive cradle screw holes, so I could still mount the SSD without having to get a "mounting kit".

You might also check to see if there is a bios update. Boot into the Bios Setup and disable the Intel SpeedStep for best performance and while you are in the Bios make sure your Sata drives are set to "AHCI" not legacy or default.

Yes, some Linux Kernels work better than others. Fortunately, it is easy to install and remove Linux Kernels and if something does not work well, you can easily boot in advanced options and select another Linux Kernel.

Member Pjtor's website the "Easy Linux tips project" is a great Linux website for everyone with excellent information.

All editions of Linux Mint are wonderful and work very well. Sometimes with brand new major release versions of any operating system, it can take a little time to mature and for all the various software to become available for it. Linux Mint 18.3 is very stable. Linux Mint 19 is also stable, but still brand new. Linux Mint and Linux operating systems are much more secure than other operating systems. I still recommend that you update right away from version 18.1 to 18.3.

When I first switched from using MS Windows professionally and personally for many years to Linux, I also did a lot of research and testing and Linux Mint was the easiest to install and just worked well with all the basic computer applications most people use ready to use (Browser, email client, multimedia players for videos and discs, office suite, music application, image viewers and editor, etc...). It took me a while to find Linux versions of all the other applications and utilities that I used in MS Windows, but I did, and some are "cross-platform" and work in both. You can ask here in the forum or search in the forum and the Software Manager or Synaptic Package Manager (SPM) for any applications that you are interested in installing and using.
Phd21: Mint 20 Cinnamon & xKDE (Mint Xfce + Kubuntu KDE) & KDE Neon 64-bit (new based on Ubuntu 20.04) Awesome OS's, Dell Inspiron I5 7000 (7573) 2 in 1 touch screen, Dell OptiPlex 780 Core2Duo E8400 3GHz,4gb Ram, Intel 4 Graphics.
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BG405
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by BG405 »

Great introductory thread! Looks like you'll get on great with Mint (and on here). 8)
Dell Inspiron 1525 - LM17.3 CE 64-------------------Lenovo T440 - Manjaro KDE with Mint VMs
Toshiba NB250 - Manjaro KDE------------------------Acer Aspire One D255E - LM21.3 Xfce
Acer Aspire E11 ES1-111M - LM18.2 KDE 64 ----Two ROMS don't make a WRITE
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Tater
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by Tater »

BG405 wrote: Mon Oct 01, 2018 1:00 pm Great introductory thread! Looks like you'll get on great with Mint (and on here). 8)
I thank you for the kind words. I intended to lay out my motivation and some of my experience here to act as an encouragement to others.

The level of frustration that one experiences when the "simplest" of tasks eludes them has to be acknowledged. It helps immunize them from giving up in a fit of angst. So to show that things are possible and that it really is just analogous to hopping into a different car to run to the store is important. The location of the headlight switch may elude you for way too long, and you may have to ask for help figuring out how to turn the AC off, but it is all the same stuff, just arranged differently. It is something you can do.

I added the printer that I mentioned above to my Linux Mint laptop in a mindbogglingly easy experience. I am still a little disoriented by how simply Linux Mint just did it. The printer is attached by USB to my Windows 7 box and is shared. The Windows box has folders shared that the Linux box can access. (That is probably a helpful first step to this as it showed that they were "talking", but I don't know that a shared folder is necessary.) I just clicked on Menu>Administration>Printers and clicked +Add. I found the printer, the dialog popped up saying Samba needed an additional bit and once that was done, I was printing a test page.

That was a loooonnggg cry from one of my experiences in the aughts with Linux. As the old advertising campaign constantly bombarded us: "You've come a long way, Baby!" Linux is a much more accessible operating system today. But, I think I already said that.
Current victims:
Mint 21 Cinnamon on an MSI B450-a Pro Max AMD Ryzen 5 / 3.6 Ghz 6 Core (12 Thread) w/ 16 GB Ram

Mint 21 XFCE on a Dell Latitude D830 Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 / 2 GHz w/ 4 GB Ram

OS Reinstall Counter is set at 8
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Tater
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by Tater »

phd21 wrote: Fri Sep 28, 2018 2:18 pmBut, the best improvement in overall system performance was achieved by adding an SSDrive which literally made an incredibly positive difference everything was instantly much faster. I think any SSDrive can fit into any Laptop or computer, but you may need a "mounting kit" depending upon any existing drive cradle(s) or drive bay(s). On my Dell Optiplex 780 Ultra Small Form Factor (USFF) computer the internal drive cradle was larger (taller higher) than the SSDrive, but the SSDrive's mounting screw holes matched the drive cradle screw holes, so I could still mount the SSD without having to get a "mounting kit".
I did some looking and I am again surprised at how inexpensive and common things that used to be pricey and nichey are. I am not burning to spend the money right now, but I am thinking on how, for a hundred bucks, or so, I can turn this old laptop into a fast and mobile computer again.
You might also check to see if there is a bios update. Boot into the Bios Setup and disable the Intel SpeedStep for best performance and while you are in the Bios make sure your Sata drives are set to "AHCI" not legacy or default.
The bios is the latest and greatest, even though it is from 2010. I will check those bios settings when I reboot next.
Member Pjtor's website the "Easy Linux tips project" is a great Linux website for everyone with excellent information.
I have been looking around his site. It's nice to know he is a known personage.
I still recommend that you update right away from version 18.1 to 18.3.
As I said, I am taking this as I have time. I have been using the Linux box for various tasks and figuring out its quirks. I will get to the version update soon. I just want to have a window of time to deal with any oddnesses it may bring.
When I first switched from using MS Windows professionally and personally for many years to Linux, I also did a lot of research and testing and Linux Mint was the easiest to install and just worked well with all the basic computer applications most people use ready to use (Browser, email client, multimedia players for videos and discs, office suite, music application, image viewers and editor, etc...). It took me a while to find Linux versions of all the other applications and utilities that I used in MS Windows, but I did, and some are "cross-platform" and work in both. You can ask here in the forum or search in the forum and the Software Manager or Synaptic Package Manager (SPM) for any applications that you are interested in installing and using.
For years I have been using open source software for everything that I could. That means that most of my preferred software is readily available for Linux. I am amused that some of them have a different feel and look, as well as layouts, in their Linux guise. But they are almost all here in the repository.

The two programs I am missing most acutely are Irfanview and Paint.net. I am aware that GIMP is installed and I have tried several times over the years to use GIMP, but I always get frustrated with it and just go back to using Paint.net for the tasks that GIMP excels at. I use Irfanview to crop and resize images, but every application that I find touted as an Irfanview equivalent just seems to be a picture viewer without the simple, easy and accessible basic editing tools that I use Irfanview for. So that is a continuing search. And, I will have to take some time and try to find a simple guide to GIMP and finally crack that nut.

Ever onward!
Current victims:
Mint 21 Cinnamon on an MSI B450-a Pro Max AMD Ryzen 5 / 3.6 Ghz 6 Core (12 Thread) w/ 16 GB Ram

Mint 21 XFCE on a Dell Latitude D830 Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 / 2 GHz w/ 4 GB Ram

OS Reinstall Counter is set at 8
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Tater
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by Tater »

I did the upgrade from Linux Mint Mate 18.1 to 18.3 and all appears well. I found and followed this guide to do the upgrade and I found the comments below to actually be relevant and useful. :shock:

https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=3462

I also came across this post: viewtopic.php?f=90&t=278983&p=1535491#p1535491

The pages he set up are just the thing I was looking for as reference notes: https://switchtolinuxdesktop.wordpress.com/

The information is just a bit above pure Barney Style which is right where it needs to be to keep my attention. I have seen too many of these tutorials that start with: This is a mouse. No, not that kind of mouse. This is a monitor. No, it wasn't used in the Civil War.

Seriously, why is it so hard to find tutorials that don't assume that you are either completely ignorant of computers or a veteran programmer that just wants help recalling a rarely used setting? @otlichnik73 nails it in my opinion. I need more "Here is how you can do these commonly done things..." in plain language. Bravo!

Pjtor's website the "Easy Linux tips project" is another I am leaning on heavily. https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/Home
Current victims:
Mint 21 Cinnamon on an MSI B450-a Pro Max AMD Ryzen 5 / 3.6 Ghz 6 Core (12 Thread) w/ 16 GB Ram

Mint 21 XFCE on a Dell Latitude D830 Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 / 2 GHz w/ 4 GB Ram

OS Reinstall Counter is set at 8
phd21
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by phd21 »

Hi Tater,

You seem to be doing very well with Linux Mint now.
Tater wrote:The two programs I am missing most acutely are Irfanview and Paint.net. I am aware that GIMP is installed and I have tried several times over the years to use GIMP, but I always get frustrated with it and just go back to using Paint.net for the tasks that GIMP excels at. I use Irfanview to crop and resize images, but every application that I find touted as an Irfanview equivalent just seems to be a picture viewer without the simple, easy and accessible basic editing tools that I use Irfanview for. So that is a continuing search. And, I will have to take some time and try to find a simple guide to GIMP and finally crack that nut. Ever onward!
A.) IMHO, the application that is most similar to "Irfanview" for Linux would be "XnViewMP", but there are many application options for image browsers with some editing and painting functions built-in, including "Pix", "shotwell", Gwenview, "digiKam", etc...

XnViewMP · Multi-Platform Photo Viewer, Image Resizer and Batch Converter
- Scroll down to Linux on right-side, download the deb file and double-click it to install it, may require logging out and back in or restarting computer.
https://www.xnview.com/en/xnviewmp/

Shotwell 0.26.3 Released with Fixes (How to Install) - Tips on Ubuntu
http://tipsonubuntu.com/2017/08/11/shot ... s-install/

"Converseen" is great for converting or resizing (scaling) images one or many at a time.

B.) As for applications like "Paint.net", there are some excellent options for that as well and many posts in this forum on that topic. My favorite is "Kolourpaint" for speed and ease of use. "Pinta" is another, etc... Search "Synaptic Package Manager (SPM)" for "Paint" or "Image edit", etc...

I use a superb screenshot application that can also open existing images to do basic image editing (cropping, scaling resizing, save to another format) and painter functions called "Ksnip". This can be installed in any Linux Mint system using their AppImage or other installation options. Thanks to Ksnip (and Damir's developer efforts) I rarely have to use anything else but Ksnip for basic image editing with painter functions and or for taking and editing screenshots.

FYI - "ksnip" really nice screen capture app with Imgur upload and built-in painter functions
- read first and last posts.
viewtopic.php?f=47&t=260112&hilit=ksnip

DamirPorobic/ksnip: Ksnip is a Qt based Linux screenshot tool that provides many annotation features for your screenshots.
https://github.com/DamirPorobic/ksnip

C.) "Gimp" is a professional grade image editor with many plug-ins. I think the easiest way to install their newer version in Linux Mint versions less than 19.x like 18.x would be to use their AppImage file (should work in all LM versions). This is certainly an application worth learning for anyone who wants to do more advanced image editing although it can easily do basic image editing tasks as well. There are excellent tutorials on YouTube and elsewhere for everything on Gimp from beginner to expert or for certain tasks.

Gimp AppImage downloads - click newest link may require scrolling down.
https://github.com/aferrero2707/gimp-ap ... continuous

As of 10-04-2018
Download - GIMP_AppImage-git-2.10.7-withplugins-20181004-x86_64.AppImage
https://github.com/aferrero2707/gimp-ap ... 4.AppImage

Note: Save the AppImage file, right-click it select properties, permission tab check to allow executable, apply/ok, maybe consider moving it to your home folder or an "apps" folder underneath your home folder, then double-click to run it. Some AppImages will offer to install themselves, others require manually creating a desktop shortcut or menu item to the AppImage file.

The full-featured AppImages package comes with few useful plug-ins:
Resynthesizer - texture synthesis
Liquid rescale - content-aware image resizing based on seam carving
NUfraw - RAW image processing
G'MIC-Qt - the plug-in for the G'MIC filters library
PhFGIMP - front-end for the PhotoFlow editor

gimp 2.10 tutorials for beginners - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... +beginners

How To Use AppImage in Linux [Complete Guide] - It's FOSS
https://itsfoss.com/use-appimage-linux/

GIMP 2.10 Has Finally Arrived: What's New?
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/new-gimp-features/

GIMP 2.10 Is Finally Here! Here's How to Install it on Ubuntu - OMG! Ubuntu!
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2018/05/gim ... u-download


Hope this helps ...
.
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by AZgl1800 »

I tried XNviewer, and it is not where near the app of IrFanView.
way too complicated, and you can get it to full screen easily, and riszing is not near as easy as IrFanView.

I gave up on all the alternatives, and decided that GIMP is it for me, will do every thing I need, and can load it, fix the pix, and be done in 5 seconds. ( SSD & 12gB RAM )
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by WharfRat »

Hello Tater Image

Welcome to Linux Mint and the Linux Mint forum :)
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by Tater »

phd21 wrote: Sat Oct 06, 2018 11:01 am Hi Tater,
phd21, Thanks. I will go through those suggestions and see if any of them match my workflow goals.
AZgl1500 wrote: Sat Oct 06, 2018 5:52 pm I tried XNviewer, and it is not where near the app of IrFanView.
way too complicated, and you can get it to full screen easily, and riszing is not near as easy as IrFanView.

I gave up on all the alternatives, and decided that GIMP is it for me, will do every thing I need, and can load it, fix the pix, and be done in 5 seconds. ( SSD & 12gB RAM )
AZgl1500, thanks for that input, as well.

What I do with Irfanview is open the image, select the part I want to use, click edit, click crop. Then I click Image, click resize/resample click the size I use and then click file, save as and into the file it goes ready for uploading to eBay. Click the arrow to go to the next image and repeat.

What I have found so far have been viewers with the editing tools buried out of the way so that it takes twice as many clicks to get to the editing tools before I even start the process of editing. And then I have to go through all that again for the next image. It takes longer to get the image up and ready to edit than it does to do the edits. Surely, this is only a matter of not having found the right program yet.

The right program may be GIMP. But I would think that somebody has thrown together a basic image editor for Linux. I've been using Irfanview for at least 15 years and it is always my go to for setting the less tech savvy up with a way to email pictures home to momma. It has such an easy interface for simple editing tasks and it takes no time at all to teach someone to use.

Back to the hunt!
Current victims:
Mint 21 Cinnamon on an MSI B450-a Pro Max AMD Ryzen 5 / 3.6 Ghz 6 Core (12 Thread) w/ 16 GB Ram

Mint 21 XFCE on a Dell Latitude D830 Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 / 2 GHz w/ 4 GB Ram

OS Reinstall Counter is set at 8
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by Tater »

WharfRat wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 10:45 am Hello Tater Image

Welcome to Linux Mint and the Linux Mint forum :)
Thank you, WharfRat!
Current victims:
Mint 21 Cinnamon on an MSI B450-a Pro Max AMD Ryzen 5 / 3.6 Ghz 6 Core (12 Thread) w/ 16 GB Ram

Mint 21 XFCE on a Dell Latitude D830 Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 / 2 GHz w/ 4 GB Ram

OS Reinstall Counter is set at 8
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by Tater »

phd21 wrote: Fri Sep 28, 2018 2:18 pmBoot into the Bios Setup and disable the Intel SpeedStep for best performance and while you are in the Bios make sure your Sata drives are set to "AHCI" not legacy or default.
I checked the bios settings and found that AHCI was not chosen. The OS this D830 shipped with was XP and XP was not "modern" enough for such folderol. So I switched that.

I turned off Intel Speedstep, but I notice that the bios claims that with Speedstep off the CPU "will run at the slowest settings" and that the OS will not be able to control the CPU speed. Well, I will keep an eye out for that and switch it back if there is any issue.

I did some looking around and see that overclockers like to shut it off in their pursuit of stability at higher output, and that it seems to be a common discussion point among Linux users. What isn't clear is why. I assume that the Linux kernels account for the technology in some way. Is it a matter of the OS being more able to do its thing without the extra layer or is it just that disabling the Speedstep eliminates the ramp up time when CPU load changes suddenly?

Add this to the things that occupy wet CPU cycles.
Current victims:
Mint 21 Cinnamon on an MSI B450-a Pro Max AMD Ryzen 5 / 3.6 Ghz 6 Core (12 Thread) w/ 16 GB Ram

Mint 21 XFCE on a Dell Latitude D830 Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 / 2 GHz w/ 4 GB Ram

OS Reinstall Counter is set at 8
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by phd21 »

Hi Tater,

You are welcome...
Tater wrote:What I do with Irfanview is open the image, select the part I want to use, click edit, click crop. Then I click Image, click resize/resample click the size I use and then click file, save as and into the file it goes ready for uploading to eBay. Click the arrow to go to the next image and repeat.
These are relatively easy tasks that almost all of the image browsers and all the image editing apps can do including "XnViewMP" and "Pix".

"XnViewMP" may look "busy" or maybe complicated at first, but the user can easily choose almost every aspect of its user interface and what "windows" show and remove those they do not want. There are many "layouts" and other options under "View" including the default customizable "free" (free-style) layout. "XnViewMP" first comes up in browser mode with its own file manager in the upper left side and with adjustable previews of the folder contents on the upper right, just double-click an image you want to do something with (crop, resize "scale", export, etc..) and it opens a new tab with that image and there are Crop, Resize (scaling), and save buttons on the toolbar (which can also be changed) for easy access. It also has a superb export feature with previews. when finished simply close that image's tab and you are back at the "XnViewMP" file browser to double-click (choose) another image to process, etc... Once you have tried it, it is fast and easy to do what you wanted using less keystrokes or the same as "irfanview".

Apparently, some people do not know how to use the excellent "XnViewMP", so I will create a quick video tutorial on how easy it is to use some features and to change its user interface and post a link to it in a reply shortly. I will include using the excellent "Pix" image browser and basic editor and "Kolourpaint" as well in the video.

Tater wrote:What I have found so far have been viewers with the editing tools buried out of the way so that it takes twice as many clicks to get to the editing tools before I even start the process of editing. And then I have to go through all that again for the next image. It takes longer to get the image up and ready to edit than it does to do the edits. Surely, this is only a matter of not having found the right program yet.
Or not knowing how the various programs work yet. You are new to Linux and its applications, but once you find the application(s) that you like the most, you can set those as a default for various image and other file types. Most applications also have shortcuts (keyboard combo keys) to various functions like crop or scale or save.

You can simply use your file manager to browse images with adjustable previews. I have "Kolourpaint" as my default basic image editor for most image file types, so if I double-click an image it opens Kolourpaint, but I can right-click and open with any other image editing or image browsers I want to use that are installed.

Gimp is excellent but on my ancient hardware, it can take some time to start and load all its plug-ins and then it is faster from then on which is okay if you are processing a lot of images, or doing advanced image editing. "Kolourpaint" comes up almost instantly.

I have a post on uploading images to this forum which goes over in detail various applications and some have links to video tutorials showing how to crop and scale images and or convert, save as, export to another image format.

Uploading a screenshot, image, or images to this forum
viewtopic.php?f=42&t=232332&hilit=ksnip


Hope this helps ...
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Dolphin_FileManager_Image_RightClick1.jpg
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XnViewMP1.jpg
Last edited by phd21 on Sun Oct 07, 2018 9:55 pm, edited 6 times in total.
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by phd21 »

HI Tater,

That is very good that you changed the Sata settings to AHCI, now your Sata drives should perform much better.

As for turning off (disabling) the Intel Speedstep for those people with Intel CPU's and this Bios option, only you can tell if it is faster or slower than with it turned on (enabled). My system is much faster with this turned off. You can run the "inxi -Fxzd" command before and afterward to see differences.

Example from my system:
CPU: Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core2 Duo E8400 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Penryn rev: A
L2 cache: 6144 KiB
flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 11969
Speed: 2386 MHz min/max: N/A Core speeds (MHz): 1: 2386 2: 2079
...
Phd21: Mint 20 Cinnamon & xKDE (Mint Xfce + Kubuntu KDE) & KDE Neon 64-bit (new based on Ubuntu 20.04) Awesome OS's, Dell Inspiron I5 7000 (7573) 2 in 1 touch screen, Dell OptiPlex 780 Core2Duo E8400 3GHz,4gb Ram, Intel 4 Graphics.
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by phd21 »

Hi Tater, and Anyone Else Interested in this,

I finished creating a video tutorial on using some features of "XnViewMP" and "Pix" image browsers, "Kolourpaint" image editor, "Ksnip" screen capture and editor, and doing basic image editing like "Crop", "Resize (Scale)", and to save, export, or convert image(s) to another format.

Click link below to view this tutorial video
https://youtu.be/6mPOPKGPZn0


Hope this helps ...
Phd21: Mint 20 Cinnamon & xKDE (Mint Xfce + Kubuntu KDE) & KDE Neon 64-bit (new based on Ubuntu 20.04) Awesome OS's, Dell Inspiron I5 7000 (7573) 2 in 1 touch screen, Dell OptiPlex 780 Core2Duo E8400 3GHz,4gb Ram, Intel 4 Graphics.
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by deepakdeshp »

Hi Tater,
How I your Linux in general and Mint in particular journey progressing?
If I have helped you solve a problem, please add [SOLVED] to your first post title, it helps other users looking for help.
Regards,
Deepak

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Mint 21.1 Cinnamon AMD Ryzen3500U/8gb
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by Tater »

deepakdeshp wrote: Wed Dec 05, 2018 8:49 am Hi Tater,
How I your Linux in general and Mint in particular journey progressing?
I beg all of your forgiveness for dropping off the face of the Earth for a while. None of you deserves to suffer the details, but suffice it to say I have been indisposed and unfit company.

As to the Linux journey, I have been using the Dell D830 daily for web browsing and as a $500 deck of cards. :roll: I have stumbled upon Pinta which is an image editor aimed at being an analog of Paint.net with a similar control layout. I've done a little playing with it. I still need to take a look at XnViewMP and phd21's video. Again, I am sorry for failing to do my follow-ups.

I finally took a look at my BIOS in more detail and, looking to put phd21's advice to work re Speed Step, I took some readings and made some changes. First, I took a baseline of my system with Speed Step enabled.
CPU: Single core Intel Core2 Duo T7300 (-UP-) cache: 4096 KB
flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 3988 speed/max: 1005/2001 MHz
Then I went into the BIOS intending to disable Speed Step and noticed that there was an option about cores under the performance section. Hmmm. "Whatever is that?" I selected that dialog and saw that dual core was disabled with an explanation that on some systems enabling dual core could result in improved performance... Well. :shock: Apparently, when Dell shipped this box with Windows XP, using both cores of its processor wasn't a thing. IDK. So I turned on the second core and booted into Linux for another inxi -Fxzd.
CPU: Dual core Intel Core2 Duo T7300 (-MCP-) cache: 4096 KB
flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 7978
clock speeds: max: 2001 MHz 1: 1201 MHz 2: 1204 MHz
That looked different. I launched a browser and frisked around a little. I loaded a page full of gifs which loaded more quickly, I think. Obviously there should be an improvement in performance, I will just have to see.

Then I went back into the BIOS and disabled Speed Step (That was my original intention, after all) and then booted back into Linux for another inxi -Fxzd.
CPU: Dual core Intel Core2 Duo T7300 (-MCP-) cache: 4096 KB
flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 7978
clock speeds: max: 1196 MHz 1: 1196 MHz 2: 1196 MHz
Looking at my results, I am thinking that the Speed Step is not really an issue for me as I am using my laptop. It is plugged into a 90w power supply all the time. It is getting all the power it can use and shouldn't sense any need to slow things down to save battery. Now, if I should decide to take it somewhere and use the battery, then I would need to decide how to proceed.

I am going to do a walk through of the BIOS on this thing, though. That second core being disabled in BIOS is the second thing that surprised me here. The first was the AHCI.

I have ordered a new CPU fan for the laptop. My old fan is being obstinate and doesn't spin up easily. It makes a whiny noise sometimes, too. The temps are usually in the 50c range with occasional blips up to 65c or so. I think it will be consistently cooler with the new fan and happier too. Now if the guy will just ship it...

For right now, I have some BIOS spelunking to do.
Current victims:
Mint 21 Cinnamon on an MSI B450-a Pro Max AMD Ryzen 5 / 3.6 Ghz 6 Core (12 Thread) w/ 16 GB Ram

Mint 21 XFCE on a Dell Latitude D830 Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 / 2 GHz w/ 4 GB Ram

OS Reinstall Counter is set at 8
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Re: Hello Cruel World!

Post by Tater »

I did some searching and I found that there actually is a newer bios from Dell that I somehow did not find last time I looked. It is dated July 2013 and is A17. I had A15 from 2010 installed. I could not find a change log, unfortunately. I whipped up a Free DOS bootable USB with the new BIOS and upgraded it.

After the update, I went through the settings. I didn't really see anything new or different. But I hadn't, obviously; see above, been intimately familiar with the BIOS before. :roll:

Now, I think I should give this a workout and see if those numbers translate into discernible improvement.
Current victims:
Mint 21 Cinnamon on an MSI B450-a Pro Max AMD Ryzen 5 / 3.6 Ghz 6 Core (12 Thread) w/ 16 GB Ram

Mint 21 XFCE on a Dell Latitude D830 Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 / 2 GHz w/ 4 GB Ram

OS Reinstall Counter is set at 8
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