7 ways to speed up Ubuntu

While most Windows users are always on the lookout for solutions that improve their operating system performance, Linux users don't seem to face this problem.

1. Clean up unused log files and temporary files with BleachBit

The first step to speeding up your computer is to clean up the unnecessary things left behind by daily use. These can be temporary files or log files that can take up a lot of storage space. When the storage space is filled, the system becomes sluggish.

You can solve this problem with BleachBit.

Step 1.  Install BleachBit with:

sudo apt install bleachbit

Step 2.  Run Bleachbit from the application menu.

Step 3. Select the file types you want to delete. The article recommends everything in the Apt, journald and Temporary files section in the Deep scan section .

Step 4. Click Clean at the top left.

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2. Speed ​​up boot time by reducing Grub timeout

Grub is the default bootloader for most Linux distributions and you can edit your boot options during boot. If you always use the same boot option, you can tell Grub to bypass the options menu.

Step 1. Start by editing Grub's configuration with:

sudo gedit /etc/default/grub

Step 2. Locate the line GRUB_TIMEOUT = X , where X is the time that Grub is currently set to wait for your selection.

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Step 3. Change the duration to 2 seconds for example (this is enough time to make a choice but short enough not to cause discomfort).

Step 4. Save the changes and exit the editor. Update Grub with:

sudo update-grub

Your changes will take effect the next time you reboot.

3. Reduce application startup time with Preload

Preload is a daemon that runs in the background and keeps track of which applications users use the most and which files are needed. Based on this analysis, it will automatically load those files, speed up loading time of favorite applications.

Preload is another almost completely automated solution that you can install and take advantage of without having to do anything else.

To install Preload, open a Terminal and type:

sudo apt install preload

Once installed, Preload will automatically run at next boot, no need for user intervention or configuration.

Note : While Preload doesn't have a noticeable side effect, its usefulness depends on how you're using your computer and how much RAM it has. That's because Preload is based on usage patterns so it's safe to guess that, for example, after downloading Firefox, you could also run a note-taking application. If your PC has less than 8GB of RAM or your usage is erratic, please skip Preload.

4. Remove useless things from AutoStart

Some applications start automatically when the user is on the desktop and can slow down the desktop. So it is best to prevent them from starting automatically or add a delay to their startup.

Step 1. Access the application menu and search for 'Startup Applications Preferences' . When the entry appears, run it.

Step 2. See a list of software that automatically loads whenever you log on to the desktop.

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Step 3. Delete the ones you don't need to activate by selecting them and clicking the Remove button on the right.

5. Improve speed with zRam

zRam creates a compressed swap space in RAM. When the RAM starts to fill up, the zRAM will begin to compress some of the content without having to swap out the capacity on the storage device.

Thankfully, using zRAM is easier than ever today. It is supported in most modern kernels and you just need to install a script that is in the default repositories to configure it automatically according to your PC's specifications. To do that:

Step 1. Open Terminal and install the zRAM configuration script:

sudo apt install zram-config

Step 2. Reboot the computer and zRAM should run automatically.

6. Prioritize applications with Ananicy

Ananicy is a daemon that runs automatically on startup and prioritizes all running software and services. It does that using a predefined collection of rules, of which you can add your own. Theoretically, Ananicy can make your computer run faster just by installing it.

To install Ananicy:

Run Terminal.

Navigate to a folder like ~ / Downloads , as you'll have to download the Ananicy source files first.

Step 1. Open a Terminal and copy the application from its GitHub page:

git clone https://github.com/Nefelim4ag/Ananicy.git

Step 2. Package the application for Ubuntu with:

./Ananicy/package.sh debian

Step 3. Install the packaged version of Ananicy with:

sudo dpkg -i ./Ananicy/ananicy-*.deb

Step 4. The app will work after next reboot. If the installation fails due to dependencies, it may be because you don't have the schedtool and make tools installed . Solve the problem by installing them with:

sudo apt install make schedtool

After both are installed, try to install the Ananicy deb package again.

7. Use a different desktop environment

Gnome is great, but can also consume quite a lot of resources. While you can optimize for Gnome to use less resources, it can never be as fast as a lighter environment, like XFCE. However, the advantage of Linux is that it doesn't keep you stuck with GNOME forever. You can install and use any desktop environment you want on Ubuntu.

Installing XFCE on Ubuntu is easy by entering the following into the Terminal:

sudo apt install xfce4

This will install the "base" version of XFCE. If you want to turn it into Xubuntu instead, use the command:

sudo apt install xubuntu-desktop

The next time you log in, you can switch between different desktop environments.

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Above are some methods to help speed up Ubuntu. Hope the information is useful to you. Wish you successful application!

Kareem Winters

Update 05 April 2021