somethingotherthenwindows 0 Posted October 15, 2004 Hello, im a linux newbie and i was just wandering why linux doesnt have a defrag util. does it even need to be defraged?? The reason I bring this up is because i have been trying to install all sort of things (mainly learning howto) and my MANDRAKE 10.1 runs slow. now maybe its just mandrake, but i still want to know about defrag'in it. any help would be appriciated!!! Share this post Link to post
danleff 0 Posted October 15, 2004 Quick answer...there is no need to defrag in Linux, as defrag, so to speak is taken care of automatically. The issue could be the amount of ram on the system, the swap file size, or the size of the partition(s) that you are using for Mandrake. So, what processor are you using" How much ram is in the system? Mandrake works well in gui mode with ram over 128 mb, usually more is better. How large is the hard drive/partition(s) that you have allocated to Fedora? Finally, what filesystem did you choose? Or, did you allow the default, or pre-format the partition(s) ahead of time? Share this post Link to post
somethingotherthenwindows 0 Posted October 16, 2004 Well I have 512 DDR pc3200 ram. Default swap with the auto allocate. and a 1.8 ghz Pentium 4. Default file system. (83?) on a 40 gig ide hd. I had 8 gigs total stored away for mandrake. possibly more? by now I have downloded gentoo because I hear its the fastest. although the install is quite complicated I feel that it is best for me. THANK YOU for replying. I see 36 people looked at this and 35 of them didnt reply... two more questions I have for you. Why dont we need to defrag in linux? Whats the fastest and best windows manager? Share this post Link to post
danleff 0 Posted October 16, 2004 This tells me quite a bit and leads me to a second question...is the hard drive in your system an ide drive or sata? Forget what you know about Windows when it comes to Linux. If you boot your system often enough Linux does a filesystem check. You will see the count on an ext2 filesystem, for example, during boot. Linux will check the integrity of the filesystem. the newer filesystems, such as ext3 and reiserfs are very efficient and automagically adjust, so defrag is not needed. I give credit where it is due...Dapper Dan has noted that with 512 mb of ram, you really don't need a swap file. You have enough memory to swap data in ram effectively. It xan be disabled in fstab. Dapper Dan also likes IceWM as a desktop GUI. I have to agree. Not all the bells and whistles, but fast and efficient. I also like Xfce. It runs many kde apps well, but is small and quick. You will see a lot of opinions from users on what they like in the "lightweight" desktops, but in your system, you should have good performance with KDE or Gnome. You have the ram and processor speed to handle them easily. KDE has improved in speed a lot with the latest releases, as well as the new kernel series 2.6. But the new kernel series is still not totally stable with all hardware yet. This will improve as the bugs are worked out. The issue in your case is hardware. The processor, hard drive rating, motherboard chipset and such. Linux also is catching up with newer hardware, such as sata and newer processors. Again, opinions will vary. I always use AMD processors, which work very well in Linux. Performance issues are likely to be related to the ability of Linux to catch up to the newest technology. Share this post Link to post
somethingotherthenwindows 0 Posted October 16, 2004 Well I have 512 DDR pc3200 ram. Default swap with the auto allocate. and a 1.8 ghz Pentium 4. Default file system. (83?) on a 40 gig <i><u>ide</u></i> hd. Yes I've used IceWM. I do like it also. Well that makes windows seem somewhat LAME. Now i cant concentrate on anyhting but the fact that this gentoo mini install is taking FOREVER to install stage 2... its been going for about 45 min and the screen is full with stuff. but i dont see any repetition, that I can see. so I think im going to just download the universal installer. the idea of portage is AWESOME its just thetype of thing ive been looking for in linux, I downloaded the source first. then did the step to install it and im kinda geting upset that i cant get more then half the linux distros to work. my first linux was rehat 7.2 and it took me 3 MONTHS TO INSTALL IT!! ugh, with no one to help me out at ALL in a little town like cheyenne wyoming and recently helena montana it can get frustrating. Im 17 and living on my own and this is my major hobby as of late(some insight).The only linux distros i can get to work are....... not what i thought linux was. i expected some speed. but i open open office and it takes just as long if not longer then word. plus the fact that alot of progs just it there when they dont want to do something so i have to kill client. uuggghhh sorry im rambling.. Share this post Link to post
Pfour 0 Posted October 16, 2004 Hi all, I use Mandrake 10.1 myself. Mandrake likes a fair amount of space on the hardrive. 8 gigs can fill up quickly. I set aside 20 gigs for my setup. I have tried with & without a swap file with little diference in speed. As far as defragging, it has been said Linux handles the filesystem way better than Windows ever will. I just hope the 3D gaming comes around sooner! Share this post Link to post
somethingotherthenwindows 0 Posted October 16, 2004 Yes I have mandrake linux 10.1 also and I plan on using it if this gentoo doesn't work. ><! even though Iwanted somthing fast and easy to install applicatios. Share this post Link to post
Dapper Dan 0 Posted October 16, 2004 I've not used Gentoo as the install directions make my head hurt. I understand Gentoo is fast and easy after a very slow and difficult install. Oh well, maybe one of these days I'll get smart enough to figure it out. If you like fast and easy, Suse 9.1 Professional is pretty easy if you've had prior experience with Linux, and to me it seems faster than Fedora Core 2 or Mandrake 10. It certainly loads faster! It's up and running before you know it! As far as the speed thing goes, I personally will still choose Linux over Windows any day, even if it is slower. Sometimes you have to be patient and wait for the better things in life... Share this post Link to post
somethingotherthenwindows 0 Posted October 16, 2004 Thank you that was a nice reply. take a look at how long ago it was from this post to my last... im still installing gentoo... its midnight and im keeping my girlfriend up for this........ i guess i can assume im a (dumb) computer nerd.Thanks for all the inut guys, keep it up! Oh and as for SUSE dont you have to pay for that?? well this is my last post for tonight. I guess ill check out linuxiso and start a long download of yet ANOTHER linux distro. Share this post Link to post
ikirioko 0 Posted October 21, 2004 I am a linux newbie using mandrake 9.1, and it seems to be fine in order so start learning. I just ran some shell commands to install the mozilla flash player, just reading the readme file. I think most of the learning is like somethingotherthanwindows does: just installing and going around reading and you learn. So keep it up. In my case its the same, i have to work tomorrow and i am up reading all these replies. Being a computer geek pays off i think. Share this post Link to post
