Wagner Danda Weblog » Linux / Ubuntu

Optimizing Ubuntu Linux to minimize possible SSD problems

Wagner Danda — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:55:50 +0000

Here are other tips on optimizing your Ubuntu Linux to minimize possible SSD problems. I still have some concerns about SSD stuttering and limited life-span, but I hope that following the instructions below I will minimize these problems:

Using noatime and nodiratime

UUID=da949f54-f6a5-4dd3-a293-8b2925834baf / ext4 noatime,nodiratime,errors=remount-ro0 1

Setting up ramdisk on heavily used temp folder:

tmpfs /tmp tmpfs defaults,noatime,mode=1777 0 0
tmpfs /media/ramdisk tmpfs defaults,noatime,mode=1777 0 0
tmpfs /var/run tmpfs defaults,noatime,mode=1777 0 0
tmpfs /var/lock tmpfs defaults,noatime,mode=1777 0 0

Changing I/O Schedule to “deadline”

Source: http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54379

So far, no problems.

iTunes on Ubuntu? Forget! Use Songbird instead!

Wagner Danda — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:45:17 +0000

Can I run iTunes in Ubuntu (or Linux in general)?

No, you can’t. Really? Well, you could try to run it with wine… But if you check the latest releases, it’s really not supported… I tried various configurations, wine 1, wine-1.2, iTunes 8.x, iTunes 9.x… Nothing worked! If you really have enough patience to figure out all of the “fix-me” messages in the wine log, good luck!

Ok, so what can I use instead? What is out there that that truly replaces iTunes?

Well, you will be really surprised by a project called Songbird (www.getsongbird.com). Check this out:

Screenshot of Songbird 1.2

It’s sleek, easy to use and can be customized by tons of plugins…

Installation Instructions for Ubuntu Linux (and similar flavours):

Unfortunately Songbird is not yet available under the “Ubuntu Software Center” or thru Synaptic/Apt-get, so you have basically two options:

Download the latest .tar.gz file from the main website (www.getsongbird.com), manually unzip and run the executable file, or,
(Recommended Solution): Use this installer (.deb) created by Eric: http://skyzim.com/songbird-1-2-0-installer/

The installation works like a charm, it even creates the proper menu entry under Application -> Sound & Video. Thanks Eric!

Welcome to the Songbird community!

http://www.getsongbird.com/

First impressions: Solid State Drive (SSD) vs 7500 rpm HDD

Wagner Danda — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:37:27 +0000

So, my first impressions on SSD? It’s damn fast! Let me say that again, IT’S DAMN FAST!

Seriously, I’m talking about at least 10x faster… Check it out:

Boot time on Ubuntu 9.10 (disregarding BIOS initial checkup time)
- 7500 rpm HDD: ~160 sec
- OCZ Solid Series 60GB SSD: ~20 sec; (what?! yes, your read correctly)

Copying Files (ex: typical video of 600 MB)
- Before, with a “fast” 7500 rpm HDD: a lot… no need to mention, it was pretty lame…
- OCZ SSD: 12 seconds!

Firefox Browsing / Overall Impression:
- Opening tabs, clicking back and other things are now instantaneous with SSD.

Check out this vid to see a guy doing a boot time test on a Ubuntu with SSD: Booting Ubuntu 9 04 with SSD

Even if you’re on a budget,you can start with the entry-level OCZ Solid Series…

Nowadays you can get one for less than $150 bucks… Here is where I got mine:

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=020610&cid=HDD.859

Based on some Internet reviews I thought this one would be too slow compared to the other options (i.e. Vertex), but It’s like comparing a Porsche 911 to a Bugatti Veyron, both are extremely faster than my Honda Civic

Happy shopping!