AntiX LXDE Video 79MiB RAM: Is it true? É verdade? ¿Es cierto? C'est vrai ?

[Ziggi]

Stumbled across an AntiX LXDE video recently where the Guy fires up HTop live where the used RAM shows 79.6MiB out of 1G. If we subtract the 3.1 used by HTop we get 76.5MiB RAM used – Wow..!

I think a 4 candle PSU could handle that Hahaha – No, not Fork Handles…

So this YT video guy deliberately sidesteps AntiX core and goes for Netinstall whatever that is for whatever reason? Is he building a Spin..?? I don’t have such knowledge but can gather where he is at. Efficiency

I do not doubt the authenticity of the video or the results displayed by HTop but due to the language I haven’t a clue what he is on about other than it’s very good

He then has a second video, Pt2 to cue up which I think is an actual installation. Again I don’t have such knowledge or experience. He then shows 88MiB RAM used.

For some weird reason AntiX do not officially support LXDE and get very hostile if you suggest that LXDE is just as fast as their recommended WMs and has the distinct LXDE advantage of ease of use for the average gnu-linux user with a simple full desktop environment and right click menu.

Here are screenshots taken with vids on pause...

 

[KGIII]

Without much else running, that's certainly something that could be done with LXDE. That's why it was wildly popular with distros aimed at low-spec devices. However, unless someone steps up, LXDE is going to die. The devs have moved to LXQt, which uses Qt instead of the GTK framework.

You really need a stripped down OS to accomplish that. Note the number of tasks in the HTOP output.

 

[wizardfromoz]

You really need a stripped down OS to accomplish that. Note the number of tasks in the HTOP output.

That will be because the video author has gone for a Netinstall (it's a Debian thing), which basically gives you bare bones sufficient to start, but without having to download and burn an .iso.

The relevant part of my antiX session looks like this

top - 17:46:11 up 2 min,  1 user,  load average: 0.56, 0.76, 0.34
Tasks: 319 total,   1 running, 318 sleeping,   0 stopped,   0 zombie
%Cpu(s):  0.1 us,  0.0 sy,  0.0 ni, 99.8 id,  0.0 wa,  0.0 hi,  0.0 si,  0.0 st
MiB Mem :  15906.9 total,  15301.1 free,    262.1 used,    343.7 buff/cache
MiB Swap:      0.0 total,      0.0 free,      0.0 used.  15312.2 avail Mem

but 260 MB is still a very good result.

Wizard

 

[Ziggi]

Hey Guys – thanks for responding

You really need a stripped down OS to accomplish that.

Would you agree that an OS with a full blown DE desktop environment and Ffox web browser is far from a stripped down tty or WM OS. Personally I find the basic WM window manager environment that AntiX push is quite difficult for a Noob and too slow and clumsy for me.

Besides I can click an icon faster than typing a command or navigating many windows to get where I need to be Why make using AntiX cumbersome when you can have Easy very easy

Netinstall (it's a Debian thing),

Hey Wizard from down under – thanks for clearing the mist from Netinstall. felt too stupid to ask..! So now I am a little more wiser but think my little knowledge could be a dangerous thing.
Do you think that the second video (Pt2) shows a bare bones OS or a full blown highly customizable DE with extras for the 88MiB used including neofetch?
Curious as to what version of AntiX you Southern Hemisphere Wizards are conjuring with…? My regards to Wal and Dundee - Ziggi

 

[f33dm3bits]

I never got the reason why people would want to make it a sport to make their system as lightweight as possible since in today's world most hardware aren't that expensive anymore to get a decent system. Maybe for fun as a hobby on vm or as a learning experience but for every day tasks I don't see the point to limit yourself to less than 4G of RAM, I think it should be easily doable for any computer to have at least 8G of ram now days.

I do have to admit during covid I did experiment with a few stand alone window managers and tried to make my system as lightweight as I could but it was more because I had never done anything with with tiling window managers and it was just to try something new during covid. Now I'm running on full-blown KDE Plasma.

 

[Ziggi]

I never got the reason why people would want to make it a sport to make their system as lightweight as possible

A bit of sport is fun Perhaps like Colin Chapman of Team Lotus getting it done by using less is the efficient way – taking true, not phoney World Championships rather than the US concept of adding more… bigger is better..etc etc. Rendering them unable to play on the World stage on two or four wheels...

Lotus at Indianapolis USA - Colin Chapman on the left

since in today's world most hardware aren't that expensive anymore to get a decent system.

Could it be that you forgot the billions of poor people around Planet Earth?

Could it be that you forgot the tens of thousands of poor people in your own country?

I thought Superman looked out for the average Joe and Jane?

In the UK we are paying dearly for the proxy war in Europe with ever more children falling into poverty and people forced out into the cold from their houses. While our Gov give £-billions to fund another’s war, children are refused entry to Children’s Hospital and old people are being shipped out to die in loneliness at home with no-one to care for them. How do you plug in a laptop on the street and connect to internet..?

Then there is the energy and environmental impact of buying i7, i9 or Crapple products to be considered…

https://www.linux.org/threads/linux-saves-planet-earth.43153/

We donated a Toshiba laptop to local school during covid and give cash or food to people living rough on the steet – I have lived in squats on skid row. So with this Dickensian Christmas upon us I would not want to take on the roll of Scrooge..!

I don't see the point to limit yourself to less than 4G of RAM, I think it should be easily doable for any computer to have at least 8G of ram now days.

Wo Dude – 8GIB OMG - Did you not see my 3GiB RAM old 2008 HP G60 laptop playing three web page videos at the same time – with LO Writer loaded ready to edit…? Hey Dude – easily doable with RAM to spare…!

Pick any of the three vids to view here on the imgur link – all roughly the same..

https://imgur.com/a/pImTXcK

So what basic everyday task is it that you think my 3GiB RAM can’t handle with ease – you know me – I love a challenge

Now I'm running on full-blown KDE Plasma.

That figures

 

[f33dm3bits]

A bit of sport is fun Perhaps like Colin Chapman of Team Lotus getting it done by using less is the efficient way – taking true, not phoney World Championships rather than the US concept of adding more… bigger is better..etc etc. Rendering them unable to play on the World stage on two or four wheels...

Lotus at Indianapolis USA - Colin Chapman on the left

I only watch Formula 1 when it comes to sports.

Could it be that you forgot the billions of poor people around Planet Earth?
Could it be that you forgot the tens of thousands of poor people in your own country?

Yes probably but I am only aware of what happens around me and and I know some people that have less money to spend and even they can get computers with 8G of RAM in. Here kids in poorer families get Chrome books for school financed by the government for school work. I would think in any Western country most people should be able to afford something with 8G ram in it, Africa and the East I would find that less likely since the west seem to be richer from what I read but I don't pay much attention to things that happen outside of Europe.

How do you plug in a laptop on the street and connect to internet..?
Then there is the energy and environmental impact of buying i7, i9 or Crapple products to be considered

I only meant people that aren't homeless and actually have a job, since I don't expect a homeless person to be able to afford electronics. I buy a new computer every five years or so and sometimes I replace parts to give myself an upgrade. When I get myself a new system I give my old system to someone I know who has less or isn't able to afford something new. The system I currently have will still be good for quite a few years, there are other ways to contribute to society and to the world since different things speak to different people.

We donated a Toshiba laptop to local school during covid and give cash or food to people living rough on the steet – I have lived in squats on skid row. So with this Dickensian Christmas upon us I would not want to take on the roll of Scrooge..!

I make a monthly donation to Amnesty International because I also care about people around the world that need help that are in countries where they can't afford basic human needs and where they have less human rights.

Wo Dude – 8GIB OMG - Did you not see my 3GiB RAM old 2008 HP G60 laptop playing three web page videos at the same time – with LO Writer loaded ready to edit…? Hey Dude – easily doable with RAM to spare…!

Pick any of the three vids to view here on the imgur link – all roughly the same..

So what basic everyday task is it that you think my 3GiB RAM can’t handle with ease – you know me – I love a challenge

Yeah I saw just saw them, that's really awesome! I work in IT and my work is my hobby as well so I like to spend some money on my hobby as well and to have an above average system running so I can setup labs and stuff like that. I like to game every now and then so why would I want a minimal system with 4G of ram in it, web-browsers can eat quite a bit of ram now days.

I put a lot of my free time into learning which helped me get to where I am now and I work hard for my salary and besides all the necessities I pay for I make sure I am good for myself too and I am not going to give myself less than I deserve. I don't have a perfect life or the dream life but I make sure I make the best of what I do have and what I am able to do.

Lastly I think everyone is at a different stage in life and people use their computer for different tasks, so probably not everybody needs 8G of ram in their system. However I find it that when it comes to the west if you have a job you can afford a system with 8G ram since that seems to be the standard now for most pre-built systems.

 

[forester]

When lubuntu used LXDE and not the current LXQt, the Lubuntu Minimal Install compared comparably (a little more RAM usage but not much more) to an antiX Base Install in a trial I performed using only an old
Shuttle with a Core2Duo E8400 and 4 GB RAM.

SliTaz RAM usage can be less than 20 MB

 

[KGIII]

Would you agree that an OS with a full blown DE desktop environment and Ffox web browser is far from a stripped down tty or WM OS.

Stripped down doesn't mean unusable. We use stripped down version of Linux for everything these days. Stripped down is a *good* thing for some folks.

I want a full-blown experience, with all the applications I need immediately available. Just my browsers have *hundreds* of open tabs.

 

[sphen]

This thread touches on many of the areas where I have been experimenting recently, including the need for lightweight desktop manager configurations and remote installation.

Those ongoing experiments were the reason I joined this forum a few days ago. I am not ready to post specific questions, but I don't mind sharing some of the general areas I have been looking at. The work has been wide-ranging, but it comes together from my point of view.

Rather than hijacking this thread, I started a new thread describing my experiments here:

https://www.linux.org/threads/exper...installation-startup-and-remote-access.43182/

 

[Ziggi]

However I find it that when it comes to the west if you have a job you can afford a system with 8G ram

Nurses now have "Food Banks" in UK Hospitals. Workers with two jobs are forced to use "Food Banks" to make ends meet while US Fossil Fuel giants make billions a quarter. 8GiB laptops are out of sight to millions - is UK in the West...?
Burning electricity playing games is not on the gruel menu...

 

[Ziggi]

SliTaz RAM usage can be less than 20 MB

Could not get that figure anywhere as they seem to be using JWM or Openbox window manager with bugger all apps of any use included. Looked on DisWatch etc.
Yet DistroWatch now list a latest "cooking" version as of 19th Dec which uses - wait for it - LXDE full blown desktop but no RAM used figures.
You Guys got any figures or independent assessment..?

Edit: Just found in user comments on DW...

It's fantastic, I'm running slitaz on a 1GB 1.6GHz single core notebook, I have not seen yet a memory usage higher than 400 MB

I've installed some packages already otherwise install on a HDD comes around 170MB.

Seems like full of outdated packages?

Er - not looking so good now is it..? Think this Locos por Linux Dude will run rings around SliTaz...?

 

[f33dm3bits]

Nurses now have "Food Banks" in UK Hospitals. Workers with two jobs are forced to use "Food Banks" to make ends meet while US Fossil Fuel giants make billions a quarter. 8GiB laptops are out of sight to millions - is UK in the West...?
Burning electricity playing games is not on the gruel menu...

UK and US are the west as well. You are talking as if the whole world is as broke and can barely afford a place to live and can barely cover basic costs which isn't true. Yes things have gotten more expensive and yes there are groups of people that are having a harder time than others not being able to cover basic needs with the current situation but it's not like 99% of the people in the world are barely holding on. Yes playing a casual game every now and then is on the menu if you can afford it. Although gaming 2-3 hours twice a month isn't going to kill your electricity bill, most people spend that same amount on a daily basis watching tv.

 

[Ziggi]

You are talking as if the whole world is as broke and can barely afford a place to live and can barely cover basic costs which isn't true.

People in UK are paying for US proxy war in Europe with public sector workers as well as those working for Minimum legal wage in private sector with two jobs.
Add in their children living in poverty they represent more than the 1% you suggest. Their numbers are measured by the millions...
I know - I live here and see the queues for food banks...

Nurses among rising numbers of workers using food banks, research shows

Trussell Trust figures reveal one in five referrals to its centres were from households where someone worked

www.theguardian.com

Nurses forced to use food banks as cost of living bites

Nurses and other healthcare staff are now being forced to use food banks for the first time as the rising cost continues to cut deep.

www.nursinginpractice.com

If you want to investigate most nasty stuff --- Follow the Money --- Now then, who is profiting from this proxy war..?

Though that war may prove to be a tragedy for the world, one group is already benefiting from it: U.S. arms contractors.

Ukraine And The Profits Of War| Countercurrents

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought immense suffering to the people of that land, while sparking calls for increased military spending in both the

countercurrents.org

The Russia-Ukraine war is super profitable, and some American lawmakers have made fortunes out of it

American lawmakers, for instance, are handsomely profiting out of the catastrophe that has struck Eastern Europe.

tfiglobalnews.com

Can we now get back on topic please..?

 

[KGIII]

Friendly reminder: Politics is strictly off-topic.

 

[Ziggi]

Ooooooooooops - Let's get back on topic. Ziggi
Hope wasting energy is not classed as political?

Is SliTaz dead in the water compared to Antix-LXDE.
Anyone got any figures like my AntiX-22 Full LXDE + Gimp ...

top - 14:39:54 up 18 min, 1 user, load average: 0.04, 0.01, 0.00

Tasks: 153 total, 1 running, 152 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie

%Cpu(s): 0.2 us, 0.2 sy, 0.0 ni, 99.7 id, 0.0 wa, 0.0 hi, 0.0 si, 0.0 st

MiB Mem : 2986.5 total, 2540.8 free, 164.4 used, 281.3 buff/cache

MiB Swap: 4464.0 total, 4464.0 free, 0.0 used. 2668.2 avail Mem

 

[KGIII]

Hope wasting energy is not classed as political?

Anything can be political. It's your job to keep the politics out of it when discussing it.

I admit, this makes some things hard to discuss. That's okay. There are other suitable places for those conversations. The rule keeps the site reasonably free of drama.

 

[Ziggi]

Should have said that the AntiX-22 Full LXDE OS 164MiB RAM used was with all these apps and more loaded – see part of menu items in screen collage….

Not a stripped down distro… Extras added by me highlighted in yellow...

 

[forester]

Why should we believe you?

As @KGIII said, Stripped down doesn't mean unusable. We use stripped down version of Linux for everything these days. Stripped down is a *good* thing for some folks.

Shutting down start-up apps and tweaking swappiness affects RAM usage. Duh!

 

[Ziggi]

I want a full-blown experience, with all the applications I need immediately available.

Not sure what you are trying to imply here…

Thought every OS had some form of app launcher – even window managers with a launch panel? However AFAIK there is nothing easier or more simple to customize your launch apps and their display order than with LXDE – none of that modifying system files to put off Noobs

Just can’t imagine anything simpler than in this short video I made whilst modifying the Application Launch Bar – to make any applications you need immediately available.

Ain’t it the truth – does that guy believe this video?

https://imgur.com/a/XnArxCB

Enjoy - Yo! 314MiB RAM used whilst making a screencast video