advice on optimizing AVL for non audio-video stuff

[lokeyb]

Since my windows install committed suicide and took out my other OS's with it too (and the new ubuntu is terribly slow) I thought I'd go with AVL for day-to-day use since I use it in live mode anyway and I had a bootable copy available.

So now I'm running AVLinux as my only OS and I am after a couple of tips:



1. are there any useful kernel parameters to make AVL run more like a standard OS for general day to day computing like web browsing document editing and general media stuff?

2. I'm not used to grub2 at all - so far I've just added a custom entry with a noswap boot parameter in the grub.cfg file. Is it a good idea too customize this file or is there a better way of going about this?

3. Is there an easy way to get the latest security updates (possibly even automatically)?

4. Any small tools that will make daily life using AVL a little easier?

5. Are there any limitations for using AVL for 'regular' computer stuff?


thanks for any help


PS. I'm not really interested in finding another OS for day to day stuff as I don't have the time or inclination to mess around with this anymore nor the disk space to spare for it either! I'm sure AVLinux will do but I could definitely do with some starter tips.

cheers

[varpa]

I think AVLinux can work as regular OS just fine.  If you want to add software just use synaptic.   The main issue is that if you want to always update packages (easily done with synaptic) will certainly break some of AVLinux's custom packages.  The manual discusses this philosophy.    However, since AVLinux is updated frequently, it has fairly up-to-date software for the most part. 

[GMaq]

Hi,

Generally speaking AV Linux should be safe for using with the default Debian Squeeze repositories and installing most software from Squeeze should be compatible. Installing a complete other Desktop Environment is probably not a great idea because AV Linux's customization is very much geared to LXDE however if you want to use Nautilus as a file manager from Gnome2 for example it shouldn't be a problem.

[lokeyb]

thanks for the replies, my ambitions for installing software have been mostly rather small though.

Using synaptic always seems to end with some small errors for me when i check the detailed output (even with simple and "supported" squeeze packages). The applications still seem to work though, a common theme in the error mentioned "purge" and some related failure but I will pay more attention next time.

I did install virtualbox from a deb directly from the website today though and that worked fine with no errors at all and now I am hosting XP with usb support working on AV linux with my puny netbook! As far as I understand it instaling deb files directly seems to bypass the synaptic package manager though so I'm not sure if/where and when this may be a problem yet.

I noticed in the software sources preferences (in synaptic or via PREFERENCES > software  sources) that there is a check for automatic security updates and an automatically install option. I have these selected but I can't say it's working or not as I'm not familiar with linux package management. Hopefully it'll do the trick though.

I was wondering if it's worth disabling thread irq's by removing the boot parameter when not doing audio stuff - would there be any benefit? - I'm not entirely sure how it works.

thanks again

[soppel]

Hei!

I am using AVlinux as daily OS for about a year now. For me is a computer something that has to do what it has to do without complaining. With other words, I do not want to  switch my OS whole day if I want to pick the guitar, and switching back when I want to read my mail. However, I do have some distro's on my computer so I can take a look what they offer. So I can learn from it.

I have tried Gnome on AV linux, and as Gmaq says, it is not a good idea! It is terrible. Maybe it will work, but I am 100%sure it take more time than learning how LXDE works. My desktop looks like Gnome and I coming more and more familiar with LXDE. It is realy nice! Open Box is great! For example: I don't like the switch option between desktops by scrolling the mouse. So I took the option out open box. Print screen button does not work out of the box. Just put the instructions in open box.
Programs witch making daily use easier is depending on your wishes of course, but I have installed Nautilus with nautilus image converter.  Nautilus starts when I use multibutton+E now, and the standard filemanager starts from the panel.

Convertall is a great tool.
Gnome-screenshot is handy as well.
Gcalctool is an easy calculator.
Icedove is my mailprogram
And Iceowl is my agenda.
( hopefully you know this: ICEweasel -dove and -owl  are the Debian variants of firefox, thunderbird, lightning)

Just look around in synaptic. And in case of doubt you can first ask here if there are problems expected.
My rule is: If not strictly nescassary: don't use KDE based programms. Sometimes they take half KDE desktop stuff in your PC. ( I am not saying that KDE is no good, but not in a gnome / LXDE system)

Last tip: If you install ubuntu or even better debian as an other OS it is easy to go out shopping in their Software Center! Write down the name and find it in synaptic from AVlinux.

Good luck!

[trulan]

You may disable the threadirqs boot parameter if you wish, it won't hurt your system in any way.  Though unless you are hitting some obscure bug, I doubt it will make any difference.  But it will definitely not hurt anything to remove it.

[lokeyb]

thanks for the input trulan and soppel!