Here's an article that's gained recent popularity. ExtremeTech writes about "hacking" Ubuntu to improve performance. From the article:
This feature includes various hacks to boost Ubuntu's performance, such as viewing running processes, identifying resources, finding process startups, tuning kernel parameters, and speeding up boot time. This is a complete chapter in the ExtremeTech book "Hacking Ubuntu: Serious Hacks Mods And Cusomtizations."
The default Ubuntu Dapper Drake installation includes some basic processes that check devices, tune the operating system, and perform housekeeping. Some of these processes are always running, while others start up periodically. Occasionally you might see your hard drive start up or grind away for a few minutes—what's going on? On mission critical servers, serious gaming boxes, and other real-time systems, unexpected processes can cause huge problems; administrators should know exactly what is running and when. The last thing a time-sensitive application needs is for a resource-intensive maintenance system to start at an unexpected time and cause the system to slow down.
In order to fine-tune your system, you will need to know what is currently running, which resources are available, and when processes start up. From there, you can tweak configurations: disable undesirable processes, enable necessary housekeeping, and adjust your kernel to better handle your needs.
An very informative article indeed! A large part of the feature provides excellent tips on process management and system analysis. If you've seen other tips floating around on the Internet on how to make Ubuntu faster, this is a great collection of the best of them. Not only is this a friendly read for the Ubuntu beginner, but it also provides some rather advanced tips! Check it out @
ExtremeTech.
