[CentOS] Strange performance issues under CentOS 5.1

[nate]

Masters IT Gmail wrote:
> I am having the same problem about performance issue, well perhaps it is
> because I have slow memory, I have  a P4 HT with 256mb DDR 400 and HD 40 gb,
> today I reinstalled the -OS Centos 5.1 final with gnome. I don´t know if it
> is okay to have only 4 megs of ram free. Perhaps I need more ram because I
> am using gnome I ask because is the first time I probe linux in my desktop
> pc, I note that is acting slow what do you think?

I think you should have at least double the memory of what you have.
Even 512MB is light for a modern GNOME desktop (I recently re-built
an older Athlon 1300 w/512MB ram for my mother and 512MB wouldn't
get the system responsive enough for me to use on a regular basis,
though she was used to slower computers anyways so it was still an
improvement).

Or don't use gnome, there are plenty of other window managers out
there(I'm a fan of Afterstep for example) that provide less things
but at the same time use far less resources.

Of course if you try to run stuff like firefox, open office etc
you'll still run into a memory wall pretty quick. Opera is a good
choice for low memory systems. I'm sure there are others as well.

nate


nate