[mythtv-users] desktop environment efficiencies.

[Richard Morton]

> On a system that is just
> running mythtv and has a 1 - 2 GB of RAM this really isn't an issue. I
> know there are still lots of people on older hardware with < 512 MB or
> RAM. But at some point you have to wonder is this worth the hassle or
> is my time better used by spending $15 on a stick of RAM and enjoying
> the convenience of a modern desktop.
<author snips>

> Very good points--it's not 1999, anymore.  And thanks for the follow-up on
my desktop > manager guesses.

fair enough, but many of us are still using myth on older hardware that cant
take more memory. My second F/E is an SP13000 in a fairly expensive
heat-pipe case to make it completely fanless... It's a nice case and I am a
little reluctant to admit it isn't up to the job anymore and in my head
write-off the purchase - it still seems fit for purpose, just.

The SP13000 is running the max 512MB of ram with some shared for video; and
using XvMC with myth 0.21 on Karmic Xubuntu.

So 100MB is 100MB and could make a fair difference...

R



Thanks And Regards,

Richard Morton

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2009/11/14 Nick Rout <nick.rout at gmail.com>

> On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 10:17 AM, Michael T. Dean
> <mtdean at thirdcontact.com> wrote:
> > On 11/14/2009 04:10 PM, Johnny wrote:
> >>>
> >>> I agree that a Desktop Environment is a waste.  And--though I'm
> guessing
> >>> on
> >>> this--I /think/ that with any of the major Myth distros, you can
> >>> configure
> >>> them to show the Desktop Manager (i.e. GDM or KDM) on bootup rather
> than
> >>> automatically logging in, then you can select a Window Manager
> >>> (FluxBox/RatPoison/twm/fcwm...) or Desktop Environment (GNOME/KDE/XFCE)
> >>> for
> >>> your X session--depending on how you plan to use the system during that
> >>> session.
> >>>
> >>> It's not exactly what you want--but it's not too far from it (and only
> >>> requires logout/login to switch).
> >>>
> >>
> >> I know that with GDM when you change your session it prompts you to
> >> see if you want to use that session as default. So it is easy to
> >> change your default session to whatever window manager or desktop you
> >> want.
> >>
> >> This is my personal opinion, but I think a lot of folks worry about
> >> this stuff out of habits from the past rather than any real benefit to
> >> the user experience, power, etc. Xfce or even Gnome are going to use
> >> somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-100 MB. On a system that is just
> >> running mythtv and has a 1 - 2 GB of RAM this really isn't an issue. I
> >> know there are still lots of people on older hardware with < 512 MB or
> >> RAM. But at some point you have to wonder is this worth the hassle or
> >> is my time better used by spending $15 on a stick of RAM and enjoying
> >> the convenience of a modern desktop. I have a combined FE/BE and I
> >> have been thinking about switching from Xfce back to Gnome just so
> >> things are cleaner and nicer looking when I am occasionally doing
> >> stuff outside of myth. I have 2 GB of memory and I just don't think it
> >> is going to have any impact on my user experience inside of mythtv. If
> >> you are someone that likes to tweak things to get a minimalist setup,
> >> then more power to you. But for the average user on a modern system it
> >> going to be easiest to just stick with the default setup.
> >
> > Very good points--it's not 1999, anymore.  And thanks for the follow-up
> on
> > my desktop manager guesses.
> >
> > One additional point, though--some Window Managers used by Desktop
> > Environments may impact Myth usage.  (Where "some" is read as
> "Compiz"--its
> > use of OpenGL may cause issues with OpenGL/VDPAU/... in Myth. ;)  But
> note
> > that you should be able to change the Window Manager used within the
> Desktop
> > Environment.  If you don't see issues with it, using such a Window
> Manager
> > is not a problem, but if you do, try switching Window Managers (even
> within
> > the Desktop Environment).
> >
>
> as a data point i run mythbuntu and therefore xfce on a p4 2.8GHz with
> 512M Ram. I see no issues arising out of mem usage for the desktop. I
> wouldn't bother with trying gnome or kde though.
>
> I have used ratpoison on a gentoo setup on much lower hardware and it
> was fine too.
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