Correct Kubuntu release ?

[Guest]

Hi,

I recently had the HD crash on my HP Pavillion Laptop and with it the Vista OS.
Got a new HD and its Kubuntu to the rescue

I've installed the Netbook 10.04 LTS 32bit release.
Along with all the updates which took over 45 minutes.

All went fine apart from the fact I don't really know what I'm doing yet !

However what struck me was the performance hit.
The floating point operations have dropped by more than 40% compared to the Vista OS
see below

[img width=400 height=129]http://pda.myzen.co.uk/genpic/vista-linux.png[/img]
http://pda.myzen.co.uk/genpic/vista-linux.png


I've always thought that Linux was superior to the Windows OS in regard to getting the most out of a processor, so I'm pretty sure I've made a mistake by choosing the Netbook 10.04 release or made a mess of the install.
I have all my data backed up, so, reinstalling another version is not a problem.
Should I have chosen the Standard/Desktop 10.04 release do you think, or even the 11.04 release ?
If so can i just install over the top or should I format first ?

Cheers

Bob

[Teunis]

Re: Correct Kubuntu release ?

The Linux kernel does purposely not support floating point operations and they need to be done in user space so the application you use is a big factor.
http://www.linuxsmiths.com/blog/?p=253
For specialist use it is possible to do some kernel tweaking.

It should not make any difference what desktop, netbook or regular, gnome or KDE you use for this install, it's always the same kernel.
There are sound reasons why Canonical issues a new distributions every 6 months, there are continuous improvements made to both the kernel and the applications that are worth while for the user.
So installing the latest is often a good idea.
Recently the kernel scheduler has been changed what may speed some things up.

And with some luck an expert on the subject passes by

[oshunluvr]

Re: Correct Kubuntu release ?

The default kernels are the same, but you need not stay with them.

My first question is why you chose the 32-bit instead of 64 bit? There's really no reason to use 32-bit anymore unless you have a 32 bit processor. I am pretty sure the AMD Turion 64 x2 is 64 bit.

The 2.6.38 kernel has some major upgrades. While you can backport the 37/38 kernels into 10.04, you might want to try 11.04 first.

Regarding re-installing: It's never a good idea to install "over" a previous install. Wipe the partition and start with a clean palette. It appears you have plenty of hard drive space. Why not make a few 8gb partitions and install several different "flavors" and see which one is quickest, stable with your hardware, and prettiest

[zebedeeboss]

Re: Correct Kubuntu release ?

Why not make a few 8gb partitions and install several different "flavors" and see which one is quickest, stable with your hardware, and prettiest

OK, sounds like a plan. Where do I start looking to find out how to do this ? Whilst keeping my Kubuntu install intact

Thanks in Advance Zeb

[Teunis]

Re: Correct Kubuntu release ?

It's easy to make a multi-boot install, the installation CD will notice there is already another OS present and give you the option.

It is possible to do partitioning using the tools available during install but it's much better to start with a Gparted Live CD and repartition before you start the install.
Make some notes of the partitioning scheme you've made so you don't accidentally overwrite the wrong one.

[Guest]

Re: Correct Kubuntu release ?

Thanks for the speedy and informative response Teunis & oshunluvr.

That floating point stuff is very interesting indeed, got sidetracked reading that last night.
The reason I installed 32bit ver was that the previous OS was 32 bit. You're right however, its a 64bit processor so I should at least give it whirl, especially given your great idea of installing several different "flavours" and seeing which one fits the bill.

Thanks again . . . . great support.

[oshunluvr]

Re: Correct Kubuntu release ?

OK, sounds like a plan. Where do I start looking to find out how to do this ? Whilst keeping my Kubuntu install intact

Start with a liveCD or USB gparted disk.

Shrink your current Kubuntu install to make room for the next step.

Create two or three (or whatever) partitions 8-12gb in size. Note that you can only have 4 partitions per disk unless one of the four is an Extended partition. An extended partition can hold up to 63 Logical partitions. I usually recommend partition1 as Windows (if desired), partition2 as swap, partition3 as /boot (if needed), and the partition4 as Extended. Then all your linux installs go into Logical partitions.

Install away...