Q. My vista laptop uses just under 50% when doing nothing and has 3gigs of RAM but my desktop uses also just under 50% when doing nothing and has 2 gigs of RAM. Does vista use the more RAM the more there is? Or is there another reson for the differences in RAM usage?
A. Yes. And this is true of all NT-derived versions of Windows (NT, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista), although Vista is a bit more proactive about prefetching (and this is why people think it's a "memory hog").
And all other modern virtual memory OSs too (MacOS, Linux, BSD, etc.
However the amount of "RAM used" is misleading. The "RAM used" does not mean there is a permanent commitment to the present uses. If something else needs the RAM, things that are "using" it now can be trimmed back and give it up very quickly.
In the case of the file cache, the RAM used by prefetched file data can be released for other use just as quickly as if the prefetching had not happened at all.
So a lot more RAM is really available to, say, a new app, or to meet a sudden need by an already-running app, than you might think.
edit - Windows Sidebar? Nah. At the moment, in my 8 GB (Vista x64) machine here, Sidebar is using all of 30 MB RAM. Granted I have no gadgets except the default MSN news thing. This is the "Working set (memory)" column in Task Manager - used to be called "Mem usage".
The biggest memory user in Vista that you can easily do without is dwm.exe, the "desktop window manager". You get rid of this by disabling Aero. This loses you the transparency at the edges of windows, the live windows displays in "cool task switching" (alt-tab) and in the taskbar, etc. Even so, though, dwm.exe is like nearly everything else - it's only allowed to bloat when there's plenty of free RAM to bloat into. If something else starts up and needs some RAM, dwm.exe and everything else get trimmed back to make room.
What are some examples of self-dependent binaries?
Q. I want games that work on linux and that are "self-dependent binaries". Someone please give examples of games that fit this criteria: linux platform/cross, self-dependent binary, and take up small amount of disk space. Also, can someone explain what a self-dependent binary program is. All I know is a program that is a self-dependent binary does not require extra or very many resources from the operating system, other than that I don't know much. A. I think you mean "static binary", not "self-dependent binary." A "static binary" does not require any external libraries to be installed (it does NOT mean that it it uses less resources, just that it has it's own copy of such resources). Static binaries are actually fairly wasteful as far as memory usage goes.
It's probably impossible to give a list of such games, as making binaries static is a compile-time option, and relatively uncommon. You can "convert" most binaries into static binaries with a tool like Statifier or Ermine.
http://statifier.sourceforge.net/
http://www.magicermine.com/index.html
What is the BEST version of Linux for an old laptop that had Windows 98 and was upgraded to XP?
Q. What is the BEST version of Linux for an old laptop that had Windows 98 and was upgraded to Windows XP? I have a 3.7 GB hard drive, with about 600 MB free. What version of Linux should I use and where do I download it?
Thanks everyone. I have finally decided. I ordered 3 CDs of UBUNTU, 1 CD of KUBUNTU, and 1 CD of EDUBUNTU. They will be at my home in 6-10 weeks. Then, I will use them as Live CDs, then pick the best one, and install it onto my laptop.
A. With the small amount of free disk, you could only use it as a server, not as a graphic desktop. 600 Mb is the necessary space for that, but you cannot run graphic applications. For a desktop installation you will need at least 1 gig. The best is 2 gigs and up.
I would encourage you to take the entire disk for a Linux installation because if you decide to upgrade Windows XP, it will probably demand more and more space until you will get out of space for your files.
If you decide to do so, First, backup all your files, then, you may divide the disk with 2 partitions: root with maybe 2.5 gigs and the rest of the space make a partition for "home" where your documents reside.
Also for light desktop environments, instead of KDE or Gnome, you should use XFCE or IceWM or Fluxbox, which don´t demand as much memory resources.
You don´t say the amount of RAM or Processor in your machine. Ubuntu and its derivatives needs at least 256 Mb 700mhz processor, maybe 128mb ram should do good. According to Ubuntu forum these are requirements for installation:
Minimum requirements
300 MHz x86 processor, 64 MB of system memory (RAM), at least 2 GB of disk space (for full installation and swap space), VGA graphics card capable of 640x480 resolution, *CD-ROM drive. If your system has less than 192 MB of system memory, use the Alternate Installation CD.
Recommended minimum requirements
500 MHz x86 processor, 192 MB of system memory (RAM), *8 GB of disk space, Graphics card capable of 1024x768 resolution, Sound card, A network or Internet connection
However, I discovered that in some old machines it doesn´t boot or it may be particularly slow. Also, Ubuntu is designed for kind of new machines, depending on your skills, you might tweak I think.
I recommend you these distros that I have used in old machines, first of all, KANOTIX. Kanotix is designed in such a way that you may install in very old machines as well as in i686. I installed in a Dell Inspiron Lr500 with 10 Gigs harddrive, RAM 256 Mb (later upgraded to 512), 500 Mhz Intel Coppermine processor. That PC was manufactured in 1999 and it rocks with Kanotix.
Another option is Mepis 3.1 I installed on a very old computer that even has ISA´s from 1998 and it works good.
Other options that do not require much space and offer some limited applications, are:
Damn Small linux: DSL is a very versatile 50MB mini desktop oriented Linux distribution.
Damn Small is small enough and smart enough to do the following things:
* Boot from a business card CD as a live linux distribution (LiveCD)
* Boot from a USB pen drive
* Boot from within a host operating system (that's right, it can run *inside* Windows)
* Run very nicely from an IDE Compact Flash drive via a method we call "frugal install"
* Transform into a Debian OS with a traditional hard drive install
* Run light enough to power a 486DX with 16MB of Ram
* Run fully in RAM with as little as 128MB (you will be amazed at how fast your computer can be!)
* Modularly grow -- DSL is highly extendable without the need to customize
Mepis: MEPISLite is designed for home users with modest hardware and as an easy way to upgrade from Windows 98. It also provides an alternative to Windows for preinstallation on new computers. MEPISLite contains many of the same programs and features as SimplyMEPIS, with some changes to improve performance on older machines. The most notable changes are that MEPISLite contains KOffice instead of OpenOffice, and Konquerer is the recommended web browser.
Deli Linux: DeLi Linux stands for "Desktop Light" Linux. It is a Linux Distribution for old computers, from 486 to Pentium II or so. It's focused on desktop usage. It includes email clients, graphical web browser, an office programs with word processor and spreadsheet, and so on. A full install, including XOrg and development tools, needs not more than 350 MB of harddisk space.
The trick is, that DeLi Linux uses only "lightweight" alternative software. If you are looking for the newest KDE, GNOME or Mozilla, DeLi Linux will not make you happy. The test computer is a 486 laptop with 16 MB RAM, and all apps which comes with DeLi Linux are running smoothly.
Puppy Linux: Puppy Linux, started by Barry Kauler, is a small, fully featured Linux distribution. Puppy works swiftly on older systems and is a delight on modern computers including ThinPCs. Puppy boots to a familiar environment for ex-Windows users. Puppy is regularly updated and is well supported and documented. Barry keeps in close contact with users and developers.
If booting from CD, Puppy carries on working even after the CD is removed. Run Puppy from a flash card, or hard disk or USB keydrive/flash drive or a recordable CD/DVD, saving and updating your files on the CD-R or DVD-R. Puppy boots into as small as a 64MB ramdisk. Puppy runs from RAM memory with applications such as the Seamonkey web browser, AbiWord word processor, gFTP client, Gnumeric spreadsheet and a superior set of programs with more available as simple free downloads. Applications start in the blink of an eye and respond to users instantly.
Well, I hope my answer helps you,
Good luck.
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