True, indeed. The documentation is great.
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Hi guys Iâm back after a short ban so thought I would take another look at this controversial topic. I am pleased that you have been so busy and must thank whoever for more evidence to back my case - I canât believe for one moment that no one else hasnât noticed this official itâsFOSS review of heavy use of resource standing still.
I must also thank @kovacslt for his videos even though I canât understand the purpose. We see at the end of the PCLOS video; the cpuâs workload climbing, maxing out at 100% a sure sign of impending doom rendering the OS unusable. 
If we then look at the Trisquel video we see just the opposite with the cpuâs workload continuing to fall to around 7% as expected from a good OS and confirms my own cpu experience. 
This has of course been entirely covered by the professional tester at DistroWatch - Quote âThe distribution ran unusually well in VirtualBox. The MATE desktop was highly responsive, new applications opened quickly, and the operating system ran smoothly.â Plus - âWhen I switched over to testing the distribution on my workstation the performance was again great. I love how responsive MATE was in both test environments. The desktop flies on this distribution and windows are wonderfully snappy. MATE is a mid-weight desktop environment, yet it performs like a lightweight window manager on this distribution.â
Exactly what I find when I use the Full Monty version.
I do hope that the above has not come as too much of a shockâŠ? To quote al-things-linux âand only 370 MB of RAM in use after a fresh boot, probably the lowest ever seen. A decent use of hardware leaving plenty to spare for actual operation.â Yo are they in for a shock - I must update them soon.
It comes from my LXDE Dell E6420 MiniMax-OS with all the usual expected of a Full Monty Distro - full suite of LibreOffice, Gimp, etc plus performance measuring and system reporting applications from its 20,000 app repository. 
Another itâsFOSS world record for efficiency - Enjoy 
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Hi @Andy2 
The purpose was to show.
According to @Mina, I want to introduce some real stuff.
For me it was interesting, that PCLOS was by far the quickest to get to the login screen, thus it felt to boot so fast. In reality, to get to a fully loaded desktop it was the slowest.
This is my bad. I focused too much on memory usage, and cut the video too early.
It actually settles down after some time.
Just because I want to be fair:
LXDE is the most lightweight DE, but not as comfortable as MATE or XFCE. So I would not seriously compare them. Of course, if I need something super-light for an ancient PC, Iâd choose LXDE.
But not for an average every-day used PC 
Now, I tried something that remembers a âreal stuffâ.
For this I had to install GIMP 2.10 into Trisquel, because 2.8 does not open what I made in 2.10.
So, thereâs quite a big (8000x6000 pixel) 17 layers xcf, which we made few years ago.
I blurred the faces in it, in case you want the video too. (I donât want problems with GDPR or alikeâŠ)
So the test:
I clicked the .xcf in the VM to open with GIMP, the clock starts here.
The clock pauses when GIMP seems fully loaded:
Trisquel: 23 seconds
PCLOS: 35 seconds
Debian: 28.4 seconds
Now I go to export that thing into a png file. The clock starts again when I press the âExportâ button in gimp, and stops again, when the export dialog of GIMP disappears.
So the time shows cumulative the opening, loading, and exporting time.
Debian: 7 minutes 11 seconds
PCLOS: 9 minutes 56 seconds
Trisquel: 5 minutes 49 seconds
This surprised me really, I expected Debian to perform this task in similar time to Trisquel.
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I actually would like to try the image out (can you upload it to some file sharing service?), but I wonder:
Who in the world would try to process such a huge image on a machine with less than 1 GB of RAM?
You mean the xcf itself, or should I export the VMâs as images?
Nobody
I stripped down th VMâs to be so weak, to emphasize the differences between the distros.
On a more powerful VM with 3 GB RAM, 4 CPU cores thereâs nothing to measure, they seem to perform equally good.
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Hi LĂĄszlĂł - Canât thank you enough for your interesting, concise and sensible reply without any petty squabbling or petty jealousy - we can now move forward rapidly.
Is music to my ears after all that I have had to endure here at itâsFoss and I am still bound by a gagging order.
Naturally I agree mostly with all you have said as I can tell you are thinking freely for yourself and also wish to move forward.
There is no need whatsoever to apologize (bad) to me. Your graph again teases my mind as again it ends to early and far from settling down we can all see it climbing again to at least 40% - I presume this is standing still with no tasks of any consequenceâŠ? No need to reply as I lost interest in PCLOS after reading reviews by experienced professionals and the huge security hole. Just my view - others can use their time however they see fit. Yet even when tested on 6GiB DDR3 RAM the tester concludes "Now I need to go and use some stainless steel scrub on my hard drive.â PCLinuxOS have had 23 years to sort this out - guess you and I can recognise something âDead in the Waterâ - âA Dead Duckâ ( you may need to translate or search this Phrase ) Enough said âŠ?
As I have been testing professionally since 1969 in England; latterly worldwide and you like conducting tests also; perhaps you could start a New Topic� But first would you be so kind as to explain your standard OS build as in #7 and my #9 above as you are going into swap zone with no active video or such. I am not seeing this with any Trisquel version even on the old HP I am using now, with just 3GiB RAM - Thanks 
Just noticed your last post - very funny - anyone can try to edit a large photo with high quality settings - even RAW - and stress their system for a few minutes. I stress my ancient yet wickedly fast old 3D CAD Workstation for 24 hours at a time when using stress analysis or fluid dynamics - wind tunnel etc.
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Thanks for your kind words @Andy2!
Iâm not sure I understand this sentence well. Do you want to know, how I prepared the VMâs?
I downloaded Trisquel 9 from here:
https://trisquel.info/en/download
I choosed the MATE desktop editon.
I downloaded PCLOS from here:
http://ftp.fau.de/pclinuxos/pclinuxos/live-cd/64bit/
Again, the MATE edition.
I already had Debian Buster with MATE, because I use it as my main workhorse.
I installed all of them in separate virtual machines, with exact same specifications.
They are set up to be the same (weak ), their vdi files (the disks) reside on the same SSD on the host.
The host is my desktop, it has i5-8500 (6 core) CPU, 16GB RAM, the OS is Debian Buster, the VMâs run in Virtualbox 6.1.18 r142142.
As for the install, I just went on to install as quick as possible, and used the defaults.
At first the VMâs had 3GB RAM and 4 CPU cores, but that was too fast to really judge which performs better. So I made the VMâs quite weak, removed 2GB RAM and 3 cores from each.
In addition, the remaining 1 core has now 50% execution peak, to make it even slower.
I did this on all the 3 VMâs equally.
I ran apt update; apt upgrade on all of them to get them up to date.
On Trisquel I installed GIMP 2.10 from Otto Kesselgulash ppa.
It was not my decision on either distro wether it actually uses swap, or not.
Chances are, that swappiness set to a higher value, and having very few (only 1GB!) RAM causes swap to be used more and earlier. I count used swap as used memory.
During the GIMP test all of the 3 OSâs used up the whole available memory, plus a good amount of swap.
(Should I share the videos of them too? 
)
Is that what you asked for?
If not, could you please rephrase it, so that a small child could understand too?
My english isnât my strongest pointâŠ
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I could not converse in your language at all - so respect to you.
Please excuse old English coffin chaser as we have an international reputation for just shouting louder in English 
I am asking what OS is this?
Where did you get distro download?
How did you set RAM limit for swap?
Why not use most of RAM available?
Please do not do any work just for me
Think DeepL may be useful
Stay Safe 
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Ah, this was the âdead ringerâ right?
It is from my laptop.
This is Debian of course, the Buster with the MATE desktop.
I downloaded it from here:
https://cdimage.debian.org/images/unofficial/non-free/images-including-firmware/10.8.0-live+nonfree/amd64/iso-hybrid/
But itâs not the default out of the box install
You see swap usage here, is this the question?
I manually have setup the swap here to be 4GB, because ocassionally I need more memory than the physically available. This happens whenever I start a VM beside other things running, or start a new VM before the previous completely shut down.
I donât really care for it too much, just let the system workâŠ
But without VMâs, I would not need swap at all.
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I agree 100% - What 
this must be a first for me 
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I think, it was already mentioned somewhere on the forum recently, but I want to still point out that âtestingâ a distribution in a VM is probably not a fleshed out idea. There are so many issues that can happen with VM installations, that you can never be really sure you are âtestingâ the distribution properly. I would recommend to everyone, who really want to test a previously unknown distribution, to actually install it on a computer, ideally on the computer they would use it on, if theyâd like it.
VMs are in such scenarios only fine for a quick look, but not a real test to get the feel for a distribution. 
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Hey @kovacslt thanks againâŠ
I can just see bottom left 7593� Never seen anything like it before
CPU 4 at 100% 
OMG 
Dear @Akito as you know Iâm under a gagging order so cannot respond in my usual manner - so if this post is too controversial please remove it so people canât read it - thanks. 
Though I fully agree with the thrust of your post (Yo - VMs suckâŠ) could I dare to mention the 2-64size huge 
Elephant in the room named RAMbi� 
I operate in just RAM only with Tails+Tor and often forget that I am doing so as it so fast on the 64bit Dell E6420. I also use it on the 32-64bit HP without problem. As we know I dropped mini-Trisquel in the old, sorry ancient 32 bit CAD Workstation with NVIDIA graphics set to CAD as it has always been - resulting in World Record for an OS fit for everyday tasks.
So, I can boot any version of Trisquel v8 or v9 into 3 - 4 - 8GiB RAM and the only difference I can detect is that the latest version v9 is slightly slower being based on upstream updated ubuntu version which gets slower and slower.
Switching back to fully updated fully installed Trisquel I cannot tell the difference. The only problem for me was trying to understand why the old girl was so fast and efficient. Thanks to the temporary ban I was able to dig deep and find the main reasons and also a little deeper understanding too before loosing the will to live.
I have now hashed together a Full-Monty encrypted drive-system loaded OS and have tested using a similar set up of freely available FREE apps as before though now using picture within picture to play the gnulinux video whilst doing something else in another page or app - Hey, Multitasking - just to satisfy your good self - Akito - hopefully�
There is only one cookie on gnulinux web and the video is not YT so no dependency or terrible invasive shit, the multi platform browser is freely available to all and has no invasive scripts running as with FF, Cr etc also add cups printer, Gimp and LibreOffice Writer or Abiword. This gives the best level playing field that I have yet compiled with relevance to everyday tasks used by Noobs and seasoned Linux pros alike. Stripped of all variables as far as this old coffin chaserâs ability allows.
Any of our Fossers can then quickly conduct the test themselves as some have already done yet are too embarrassed to post. Therefore I posted the test with Mint-19 even without gimp to show just how inefficient it was and the shit hit the fan and I was attacked from all sides - smear campaign too. Hope we can now all move forward�
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Yes, I think one reason for the slimness is that F(L)OSS programs tend to be much more lightweight, than their proprietary counterparts. This is definitely helpful, when trying to run an OS, that is slim overall.
Thought about that recently, too, because you are even as strict as forbidding images on ItâsFOSS. Therefore, I expected that you generally restrict a lot of resources, which in turn means that your system will consequently become even more lightweight.
I think a lot of people depend in some or other way on proprietary software and make their already bloated Mint/Ubuntu even bloatier. 
Perhaps you have a point in your whole way of how you treat your OS, what programs you use and how you restrict resources, if the user you are addressing is really focused on lightweightness. However, I know many people do not care as much about this lightweightness aspect, especially if they do not need to, for example, due to having a powerful PC rig in front of them, anyway.
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Hey @Akito and @Mina Thank you for allowing me; a kind, helpful, old age pensioner, to do battle with you all on this, YOUR forum - this is very big of you with or without threats or gagging order - I fully understand this is NOT my forum. I am known internationally as a pain in the arse, Maverick, Misfit, Weirdo etc but I prefer to be known as the very antithesis of groupthink - a free thinker who stands alone. The Chinese people know this and find me hilarious for some reason and take me in as one of their own - weird or what� When I see a thousand lemmings - sorry sheep - sorry people, heading in one direction I instinctively choose another direction. I cannot escape my DNA and stopped trying way on back.
I have asked repeatedly what this Trisquel is missing in regard to ability or even out of the box software that makes you guys want to reclassify into some sought of a new super lightweight classification all on its own or with all the other FsF gnulinux OSâs - are you trying to muddy the watersâŠ?
Let us be very, very clear for the sake of all Noobs and the less tech savvyâŠ
There is no F(L)OSS just FOSS - Free Open Source Software - this is the meaning of YOUR FORUM is it notâŠ? It is not FCSS either; Free Closed Source Software - though perhaps more close than most Fossers think or would dare to admitâŠ
We have a saying in England - âYou made your own bed - so you lie in itâ
So all others - PCLinux, Puppy, Peppermint, NomadBSD, whatever, have complete freedom to make their own bed and make silly claims on just how great it is and start a blog or forum for the group⊠Fanboys to crow about it - just donât expect this old age pensioner to be fooled by the bullshit. Ubuntu may be the exception as it is probably controlled from Trisquelion Island.
Must take time out to write topic on the real reasons why 32bit mini-Trisquel is so efficient on an ancient unclocked 32bit 4MiB RAM 3D-CAD NVIDIA Workstation that it will outperform modern computers with a shedload of RAM⊠
Also need Topic to dismiss claims that I am arrogant and unhelpful - need to write topics on forensic testing, testing in general and billion dollar testing, NVIDIA graphic cards and Corsair RAM and PCs. - just for starters⊠Oh, and that new 64bit LXDE-MiniMaxOS I have recently hashed together.
Bet you guys canât waitâŠ
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The problem is that almost nobody here had the time and motivation to test your claims. I wanted to do it in the end, but still did not do it, because I just did not take the time for it. That is one of the biggest reasons.
However, by accident my friend told me something interesting yesterday: he was trying out a FOSS-only by default distribution (Trisquel is, as you said, FOSS only) and quickly gave up on, throwing it in the trash, because it did not support the network hardware on his mainboard out of the box. This frequently happens with brand new hardware, for which only proprietary drivers work, yet. If you use extremely old hardware, such problems eventually vanish, but if you are trying to use the newest hardware on a âfreeâ-only distribution, you are often out of luck. Additionally, network hardware issues are very well known in the Linux OS world. Just look at ItâsFOSS, search for ânetworkâ issue related topics here and you will find plenty of people fighting with Linux, because network hardware does not work, or at least not directly out of the box.
This is also one of the reasons I was kindly requesting you to test Trisquel on a modern high-end machine with 32GB RAM, the newest CPU, the newest RTX graphics card, the newest mainboard, etc. etc., since hardware support gets better and better over years and decades. That is why it is absolutely no surprise to me, that your stone aged laptop works so well with Trisquel, because the slowpoke developers, from whatever distribution Trisquel is based on, had at least 15 years time to optimize their software for this stone old hardware. They didnât for the newest hardware, though.
So if you want a real test of usability, please buy a high-end gaming rig that has only brand new hardware on it. Then try getting Trisquel running on it and we will see if every part of this whole set up will work as expected.
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Please Akito this is most unfair - would you consider removing your post completely - We are all fully aware of the âMy Friend said bla bla blaâ trick to muddy the waters.
Neither Trisquel or myself can be held responsible for anyoneâs lack of reading skills - this has been covered so many times it is completely boring - see #17 thro #21 above along with 10 others for your answer on Wifi.
You and your friend have a simple choice buy the âŠ
âŠor remain slow pokes in the slow lane
or spend a shedload of money on a gaming rig and take the American approach and add more lard and then some more lard to try and get the slow poke to haul ass.
Personally I feel sad for people who waste their lives away playing childrenâs games - there is a whole planet out there to discover and to go boldly on where⊠
When you donât play games this happensâŠ
Check out the date - today is also Valentines day 
Andy at sunmed dot co.uk
Sent: 14 February 2000 20:47
Subject: Hey that is Cool
Hi Andy,
thanks so much for the animated drawing of your machine. That is really nice. Tony Foale only briefly told me about you and your tilting trike. The bit about going 120 mph really is interesting and is probably the fastest anyone has ever gone on a tilting trike. Nothing impresses the public more about vehicles than speed. I like speed too. In fact, Iâve been hoping that someone would build one that would (excuse my language) Haul Asss !
ha, ha.
I noticed the references to the Grinnall Scorpion.
Is your vehicle associated with this company ? The Grinall has gotten strong reviews by all the writers that Iâve read - awesome performance and high quality. - But, I agree that it should tilt.
Do you have any photos of your machine ? Man, Iâd like to see it on video hanginâ curves. But, it would be wonderful to see it still or moving.
By the way, Iâm the library director at the West XxxxxxX University Institute of Technology. I donât normally talk as above, but the idea of such a rapid TT is gets to me.
Also, we have a sort of TT Club- nothing official, but it has around 37 people subscribed to my email list devoted to TTâs . We donât publicize it because most of the people on the list are too busy for people with questions such as, âwhen will they sell the Mercedes Life-Jet.â and so forth. I answer those sorts of questions myself, but we donât want them on the list. The list is where we exchange news, information and ideas. Also, many people have began collaboration because of these messages.
You donât have to talk on the list if you donât want, but I hope that you will subscribe ( free of course ). To do that go to http://âŠstbot.com . Then enter your email address, etc.
Thank you so much for your message and I hope that you can tell me more about this Beast that you have created !
Needless to say I did not join the TT club as I know how to do it correctly. What he is describing is the Dumb Ass crude version that Harley Davidson patented some 8 years after I made first drawing or 6 years after first tested on the road. I still have the real deal up my sleeve. I stood alone on test day and put my life and the bossâs life on the line!
I guess, you think I am lying? Well, as I said, I had no time dealing with distribution trials. My friend took the time out of curiousity. I am not trying to muddy anything, I am just telling the truth. I have a friend who I talk with often. Is that so unbelievable?
That said, I do not see any reason to engage in any further comments on this topic, as I am only âmuddy[ing] the watersâ, anyway. 
Thanks Akito it was getting so boring - You can lead a horse to water but you canât make it drink.
I await a test from you as you promised, Linus T or anyone else who can show their OS choice with everyday software capabilities - out of the box is more efficient . I am not suggesting you or your friend are telling Porky PiesYour just poor reading skills - your post reads like you are frightened by an ancient computer - Wow.
Please hang on in there for forensic grade test varification topic.
Cheers
I am awaiting your test on the brand newest hardware, that has no FOSS driver support.
No idea, how I am frightened by a niche opinion. 
No idea what you are talking about.
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