LM 19 Cinnamon - Downgrading?

[Inundated]

I am mostly happy with the performance of Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon on this aging PC, but it occasionally locks up (the entire system) when I have more than like 3 tabs open in Chrome.

Yes, I said aging PC. Here's the inxi -Fxz on it:

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System:    Host: mikew-Dimension-8400 Kernel: 4.15.0-38-generic x86_64
           bits: 64 gcc: 7.3.0
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.8.9 (Gtk 3.22.30-1ubuntu1)
           Distro: Linux Mint 19 Tara
Machine:   Device: desktop System: Dell product: Dimension 8400 serial: N/A
           Mobo: Dell model: 0U7077 serial: N/A
           BIOS: Dell v: A04 date: 01/10/2005
CPU:       Single core Intel Pentium 4 (-MT-) 
           arch: Netburst Prescott rev.3 cache: 2048 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3) bmips: 5985
           clock speeds: max: 2992 MHz 1: 2992 MHz 2: 2992 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] RV370 [Radeon X300]
           bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: x11 (X.Org 1.19.6 )
           drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: modesetting,fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1680x1050@59.95hz
           OpenGL: renderer: ATI RV370
           version: 2.1 Mesa 18.0.5 Direct Render: Yes
Audio:     Card Creative Labs EMU10k2/CA0100/CA0102/CA10200 [Sound Blaster Audigy Series]
           driver: snd_emu10k1 port: c8c0 bus-ID: 04:02.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.15.0-38-generic
Network:   Card: Broadcom Limited NetXtreme BCM5751 Gigabit Ethernet PCIE
           driver: tg3 v: 3.137 bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: enp2s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 192.0GB (21.6% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: ST3160023AS size: 160.0GB
           ID-2: USB /dev/sdb model: Storage_Device size: 32.0GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 146G used: 32G (23%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   None detected - is lm-sensors installed and configured?
Info:      Processes: 204 Uptime: 13:17 Memory: 1598.9/3000.0MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 7.3.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.4.191) inxi: 2.3.56

Here are the options I see:

1) Dump Chrome altogether, and go with Firefox (or something else).

Firefox seems faster with multiple tabs, though I am not reproducing the same use case there because I don't use it that often. Downside: I have all my stuff stored in Chrome, including bookmarks (which can be imported) and passwords (which I assume can't be). I'd like to keep Chrome(/Chromium) if possible.

2) Dump Cinnamon for another DE. Xfce or MATE perhaps? I have even seen some suggest LMDE. Or maybe leave Linux Mint altogether for something like Puppy Linux or Lunbuntu?

I primarily want to know if I'm crazy to even TRY running LM 19 Cinnamon on a machine this ancient, though I suspect that having 3GB of RAM is at least giving me a fighting chance...

[richyrich]

I suggest option number 2 . . go with either Xfce or MATE. Your x300 graphics may be too weak to handle the heavy 3D rendering required for Cinnamon.

[Hoser Rob]

Option 2 for me as well. A clean reinstall is best, just installing more DEs is a great way to break things, and the usual recommended fix for that is a clean reinstall anyway. Cinnamon isn't made for 2005 vintage machines, whatever the RAM. Try 19 Xfce. LMDE is Debian based and a bit lighter but much more restictive and not so beginner suitable.

[majpooper]

At least go through the settings and turn off all the bells and whistles - but I agree a fresh install with Xfce or even like Catweazel suggest something like Lubuntu that is nice and light.

[Inundated]

Decided to do a clean install of LM 19 Xfce. So far, so good.

I can't really comment on the speed since it is still syncing both my Dropbox and Google Drive (with Isynchq) in the background, and I haven't tried a lot of tabs yet...but it's OK from what I can see.

I really wanted to stay with Linux Mint, and though I'm adjusting to the different ways Xfce does things vs Cinnamon, I can adjust. (Though why the clock in the panel keeps disappearing is beyond me, gotta look that one up...) ETA: And removing the clock panel and adding and customizing the datetime panel was my fix!

Thank you all for your suggestions. It looks like we have a winner, at least for now!

[Shankaraya]

If you like xfce desktop my advice is to do a clean install of MX Linux 17.1
With cinnamon desktop mint 18 was using mu 4G RAM with firefox. LMDE 3 cinnamon was a bit lighter, but now, (never I liked xfce) xfce 4 on MX Linux is comparable in completeness with cinnamon. But less resources needed.
I don,t know the differences between LMDE and MX. Have MX in VirtualBox, but works better than mu LMDE 3 host, where I was changing desktops. I will change (sigh) to MX Linux one day. Especially because there is not the cinnamon bug of clementine. fxce on LMDE was lacking functions.

[Inundated]

If you like xfce desktop my advice is to do a clean install of MX Linux 17.1
With cinnamon desktop mint 18 was using mu 4G RAM with firefox. LMDE 3 cinnamon was a bit lighter, but now, (never I liked xfce) xfce 4 on MX Linux is comparable in completeness with cinnamon. But less resources needed.

I'm happy so far with Xfce on Linux Mint, and don't see any reason to hop to another distro.

Since the install settled down, and after everything was synced, the performance has been excellent.

[Hoser Rob]

Cinnamon on a 2005 single core computer? Definitely do a clean reinstall of the Xfce or Mate versions. I don't really think Mate is noticeably slower than Xfce anymore, the latter has become bloated. DL both live boot CD versions and boot them to see what YOU think, preferably from a USB stick if possible.

[Moem]

Cinnamon on a 2005 single core computer? Definitely do a clean reinstall of the Xfce or Mate versions.

You're late to the party... that has already happened.

[Inundated]

So, the old Dell desktop machine has apparently officially bitten the official dust

There is a one line ROM error message. If I had to guess, the battery inside probably ran out of juice. Considering how old that thing is...

So, I'm back on Cinnamon over here, as I moved the laptop over here and hooked it into the monitor. A bit of desktop shuffling, and I'm back to normal.

Considering if I stick to this setup, or get a cheap desktop to replace the desktop...and wondering if I would install Cinnamon or Xfce on it. I won't know the answer to that question until I know what kind of replacement I get (if I get one)...

[ricardogroetaers]

Wow! A linux Mint 19 (of 32 bits, of course) running on that machine!
https://ark.intel.com/products/27447/In ... 33-MHz-FSB
How much RAM do you have?

[Inundated]

Wow! A linux Mint 19 (of 32 bits, of course) running on that machine!
https://ark.intel.com/products/27447/In ... 33-MHz-FSB
How much RAM do you have?

3 GB of RAM.

And I have no idea how/why it works, but I am running the 64-bit version of LM 19 on that machine. (When it is working...)

[ricardogroetaers]

I got curious. Please, post command output:
lscpu

[Inundated]

I got curious. Please, post command output:
lscpu

Can't do it, of course, since the desktop machine in question is still dead...but I will try it again if I manage to get it to boot again.

[Inundated]

I got curious. Please, post command output:
lscpu

As requested, since the machine is back up again (though I'm about to relegate it to a new/old computer coming this week):

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Architecture:        x86_64
CPU op-mode(s):      32-bit, 64-bit
Byte Order:          Little Endian
CPU(s):              1
On-line CPU(s) list: 0
Thread(s) per core:  1
Core(s) per socket:  1
Socket(s):           1
NUMA node(s):        1
Vendor ID:           GenuineIntel
CPU family:          15
Model:               4
Model name:          Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz
Stepping:            3
CPU MHz:             2992.590
BogoMIPS:            5985.18
L1d cache:           16K
L2 cache:            2048K
NUMA node0 CPU(s):   0
Flags:               fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx lm constant_tsc pebs bts nopl cpuid pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl est cid cx16 xtpr pti

[Inundated]

Just got the new computer...here's the inxi -Fxz:

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System:
  Host: user-ThinkCentre-M83 Kernel: 4.15.0-45-generic x86_64 bits: 64 
  compiler: gcc v: 7.3.0 Desktop: Cinnamon 4.0.9 
  Distro: Linux Mint 19.1 Tessa base: Ubuntu 18.04 bionic 
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: LENOVO product: 10AM000VUS v: ThinkCentre M83 
  serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: LENOVO model: SHARKBAY v: SDK0E50510 WIN serial: <filter> 
  BIOS: LENOVO v: FBKTB9AUS date: 11/13/2015 
CPU:
  Topology: Quad Core model: Intel Core i5-4590 bits: 64 type: MCP 
  arch: Haswell rev: 3 L2 cache: 6144 KiB 
  flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 26339 
  Speed: 1098 MHz min/max: 800/3700 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1098 2: 1097 
  3: 1097 4: 1098 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics 
  vendor: Lenovo driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.6 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa 
  resolution: 1680x1050~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Desktop v: 4.5 Mesa 18.2.2 
  direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor HD Audio 
  vendor: Lenovo driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:03.0 
  Device-2: Intel 8 Series/C220 Series High Definition Audio vendor: Lenovo 
  driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.15.0-45-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Ethernet I217-LM vendor: Lenovo driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k 
  port: f080 bus ID: 00:19.0 
  IF: eno1 state: down mac: <filter> 
  IF-ID-1: wlx503eaa78dce5 state: up mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 232.89 GiB used: 16.44 GiB (7.1%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Western Digital model: WD2500AAKX-75U6AA0 
  size: 232.89 GiB 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 228.23 GiB used: 16.44 GiB (7.2%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 29.8 C mobo: 27.8 C 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Info:
  Processes: 211 Uptime: 8m Memory: 3.65 GiB used: 1.37 GiB (37.5%) 
  Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 7.3.0 Shell: bash v: 4.4.19 
  inxi: 3.0.27 

[aditya02]

I am a newbie and wanted to know why none of you adviced to just change the DE from cinammon to xfce and why to clean install ?

[Inundated]

I am a newbie and wanted to know why none of you adviced to just change the DE from cinammon to xfce and why to clean install ?

See above. Been there, did that, ran Xfce for a few months and was fine with it.

This output in the last message is from a new computer I just got yesterday (see my signature file).