#performance #linux #ubuntu #debian #preload #apt #swappiness #ssd #service #daemon #gnometweaks #tweak #sysctl **Regularly Update Your System** Ensure that you always have the latest updates and patches installed. This can be done via the terminal using the following commands: [[Updates Ubuntu]] ``` sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade -y sudo apt autoremove ``` --- ### **Use a Lighter Desktop Environment** Ubuntu comes with **GNOME** by default, which can be quite resource-heavy. Consider using **lighter alternatives** such as **Xfce (Xubuntu)** or **LXDE (Lubuntu)**. These can significantly improve performance. --- ### **Optimize Swappiness** Swappiness determines how often the system uses **swap** instead of RAM. Lowering the swappiness value improves RAM usage: `sudo sysctl vm.swappiness=10` To make this change **permanent**, add the following line to `/etc/sysctl.conf`: `vm.swappiness=10` --- ### **Disable Unused Services** Check which services start automatically and disable those that are unnecessary using **systemd**: `sudo systemctl disable <service_name>` --- ### **Remove Unused Programs and Packages** Use **APT** to remove unnecessary programs and packages: ``sudo apt purge <package_name>`` ``sudo apt autoremove`` --- ### **Use an SSD Instead of an HDD** SSDs are significantly **faster** than traditional hard drives. Consider installing your **operating system** and frequently used applications on an **SSD**. --- ### **Manage Startup Applications** Check which applications **automatically start** at boot and disable unnecessary ones via **"Startup Applications"**. --- ### **Install and Use Preload** Preload is a daemon that loads **frequently used programs** into memory for faster access: `sudo apt install preload` --- ### **Use a Performance-Optimized Kernel** Consider installing the **linux-lowlatency** or **linux-zen** kernel, which are optimized for **better performance**. --- ### **Disable Visual Effects** Disabling or reducing visual effects can free up system resources: `gnome-tweaks` Go to **"Appearance"** and disable **animations**. --- ### **Optimize Filesystem Mounts** Add `noatime` and `nodiratime` to your mount options in `/etc/fstab` to improve disk performance: `UUID=... / ext4 defaults,noatime,nodiratime 0 1` --- ### **Monitor System Resources** Use tools like: - `htop` → Check CPU & memory usage - `iotop` → Monitor disk usage - `systemd-analyze blame` → Find slow startup processes These tools help identify **resource-heavy** processes for optimization. [[Performance Tools]] --- ### **How to Check Your Current Swappiness Value?** Run the following command: `cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness` By default, **swappiness** is set to `60`. Adjusting it can **improve performance** based on your hardware and usage. To **temporarily** change it: `sudo sysctl vm.swappiness=10` To **permanently** set it, add this line to `/etc/sysctl.conf`: `vm.swappiness=10` Save the file and either **reboot** or apply changes immediately with: `sudo sysctl -p` --- Following these tips should significantly **improve** the performance of your **Ubuntu desktop** [[DISK Activity, what is actually using the most diskactivity in AIX and UBUNTU]] [[TOP and HTOP Monitoring in Ubuntu and Debian]]