[solved] Gentoo slower than Ubuntu? Help!

Hajo Piltz · n00b Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 23

On the same machine, I run Ubuntu Feisty Fawn (with a "generic" kernel, so I'm not even sure it is i686) and the new gentoo system I was so proud setting up.

I compiled my own kernel with all the appropriet (though "safe") flags and only the minimum drivers for my hardware compiled in monolithical. I chose XFCM4 as my Desktop and XDM (with some extras such as xsri for a background and root-tail). My goal was to have a system that booted quickly and used less CPU during normal operation by customizing everything to my actual hardware. My (primitive - stop watch) benchmarks are as follows:

Boot-up (from selecting the grub entry to Log-in screen):
- Ubuntu: 45 seconds with graphical progress bar to GDM (no network)
- Gentoo: 45 seconds to XDM

Starting up the desktop (from pressing return on the login screen to when it "feels" ready):
- Ubuntu: 18 seconds to GNOME :!:

- Gentoo: 21 seconds to XFCE with hardly any applications and only a handful of small plugins.

Totally not what I was expecting to see after tweaking config files and reading howtos for almost two weeks!

I definately need your help where to look for potential! Thanks.

Some more information about the system:
- I have a ndiswrapper wlan in wpa_supplicant and a built-in ethernet (not plugged in). Using netplugd to background DHCP on the ethernet.
- I did emerge --update --deep --newuse world several times already. One of the updates pulled in a new gcc as well, so that is up to date, I guess.

Will add more as requested.

likewhoa · Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 7:04 am Post subject:

emerge --info and some details on your hardware would help. also show us what that ubuntu is running compare to gentoo in terms of toolchain,kernel etc..
BTW you can't compare a Gnome vs XFCM4 load. also if you have 2GB of ram make sure it's being used by kernel with

Jaglover · Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 10:28 am Post subject:

You definitely can improve it, my old 1.1 GHz Thinkpad (256 MB of RAM) boots to CLI login in 35 seconds - and this includes starting CUPS and mounting a network volume over wireless. XFCE4 needs ~22 seconds to load - then even weather plugin is finished.
_________________
My Gentoo installation notes.
Please learn how to denote units correctly!

nixnut · Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 2:27 pm Post subject:

Moved from Installing Gentoo to Other Things Gentoo.
Not about getting gentoo installed, so moved here.
_________________
Please add [solved] to the initial post's subject line if you feel your problem is resolved. Help answer the unanswered

talk is cheap. supply exceeds demand

Hajo Piltz · n00b Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 23

theMerge · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 1:55 am Post subject:

Ok, here's a couple of suggestions.

First, make sure that you optimize your system. Ubuntu does this for you. With Gentoo you need to do it yourself. Go to http://www.gentoo.org/doc/ and follow the appropriate language link then work through some of the Desktop and system documentation. Some of these things will help speed things up somewhat.

Second, gentoo uses the standard init system (startup), there are faster systems, I believe that Ubuntu uses one of those. You might want to look into init-ng or some other alternative. I stick with the standard because I don't really spend alot of time restarting.

Most important, make sure that you use hdparm. It speeds up your hard disk performance. Ubuntu sets this for you. I used this guide at gentoo-wiki.com to help me. I'm sure you can google some other neat guides for that as well.

The long and short of it is you need to spend some time in optimization of your system. Gentoo-wiki can help you with that as well as the Tips & Tricks here on this forum.

Hope that helps point you in the right direction.
_________________
[Insert favorite Ghandi quote here]

Suicidal · l33t Joined: 30 Jul 2003 Posts: 959 Location: /dev/null

Don't forget prelink

ppurka · Advocate Joined: 26 Dec 2004 Posts: 3256

As always, check for DMA (seems like you got an ide hard disk there). Try hdparm -tT /dev/<device> to get a performance measurement.
_________________
emerge --quiet redefined | E17 vids: I, II | Now using kde5 | e is unstable :-/

Hajo Piltz · n00b Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 23

Hajo Piltz · n00b Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 23

What does

Hypnos · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 9:29 pm Post subject:

What does 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' say? If you have a VIA CPU instead of an Intel CPU, that changes everything.

OTOH, if you have an Intel CPU and a VIA motherboard chipset, you probably just didn't pick the right PCI or IDE driver in your kernel config.
_________________
Personal overlay | Simple backup scheme

ppurka · Advocate Joined: 26 Dec 2004 Posts: 3256

The OP has already posted his /proc/cpuinfo above.

To OP: you have an Athlon XP, so I wonder why you are worried that the dmesg says you don't have an Intel CPU!
_________________
emerge --quiet redefined | E17 vids: I, II | Now using kde5 | e is unstable :-/

theMerge · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 10:54 pm Post subject:

BlackEdder · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 11:06 pm Post subject:

Hajo Piltz · n00b Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 23

Sure enough selecting the right chipset driver and enabling DMA in the kernel changed everything!

Hajo Piltz · n00b Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 23

[quote="To OP: you have an Athlon XP, so I wonder why you are worried that the dmesg says you don't have an Intel CPU![/quote]

I was wonding about this because it said I had no capable cpu. To me that sounded like it was trying to run some instructions that didn't work.

theMerge · Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:26 pm Post subject:

theMerge · Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:29 pm Post subject:

Hajo Piltz · n00b Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 23

ppurka · Advocate Joined: 26 Dec 2004 Posts: 3256

moocha · Watchman Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 5722

moocha · Watchman Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 5722

theMerge · Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:26 pm Post subject:

I stand corrected thanks for the info.
_________________
[Insert favorite Ghandi quote here]

Hajo Piltz · n00b Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 23

OK, I fixed the subarchitecture and removed the microcode part. I understand this will not change a lot but I still think it was worth it...