gnome has more free memory than xcfe when idle

JeffZZZ · #1 7th August 2007, 11:07 PM

Hello,

Installed f7 on HP PIII with 256meg ram laptop. Got xfce working but noticed when in gnome session that free memory is 92meg while xcfe is around 10meg free. Is there any benefit running xfce compared to gnome. Seems xfce is a little faster loading terminal, thunar, and editor.

Any words of... hemm... Wisdom?

Thanks
JeffZZZ

William Haller · #2 7th August 2007, 11:39 PM

Free memory is meaningless. Linux uses all the memory it can find for disk caching and the like, reusing the cache as needed for real work. I suggest you try the comparison of starting from poweroff to just logged in to each GUI interface with networking disabled and compare the Application Data portion of the memory used. Do the same for KDE just for fun. Be sure to use the same steps (i.e. set your default login GUI to the next desired test - power off - and then reboot). Also, be sure to look at the amount of swap space that is used at each step as with only 256 MB of RAM, it is possible that some things will have been swapped out to make room for the more RAM heavy GUIs like Gnome and KDE.

JN4OldSchool · #3 7th August 2007, 11:49 PM

My experience is KDE and Gnome are as equal to the naked eye as it gets. Let me also say I am running a good computer with lots of RAM. I went to XFCE and it was noticably...snappier is the best word. Not much quicker per say, but snappier, more responsive. I have been screwing with E17 the last couple days. E17 is even quicker than XFCE! I need to install fluxbox on this thing...

JeffZZZ · #4 8th August 2007, 12:42 AM

Hello

Thanks for steering me right on the ram stuff. Here is two snap shots of xfce top and gnome top. xfce is quicker by about 7 seconds and it seems to load apps quicker also. Flux box boots up quickest but struggles a bit with apps open office seems almost doubled load time, plus I haven't tweaked it for apps menu and ran things from terminal.

Don't want to install KDE as disc is getting up there. So I will have an i386 xcfe f7, x86_64 KDE f7, i586 gnome fc6, and i386 mandriva 2007. M$ on hot swap sata sitting on the shelve in need of dusting.

Thanks
JeffZZZ