[Linux-aus] contest proposal

[Info]

#1 recommendation. As tested on 2 GB Raspberry Pi 4.

Tackle Web browsers.

Use Firefox as an example. Installing NoScript reduces all overheads by heaps. Gone is most of the 
spyware, trackware, and general junkware. Make Noscript style controls standard built in.

Firefox writes millions of little status updates to disk. The latest Firefox is unusable on a 
microSD card as a result. Switching to an SSD makes it just usable. There is a setting to reduce 
writes but it is hidden. Make it a standard click setting and the default for anything not running 
from NVMe.

Ok, no need for $20. Buy me a coffee. They are almost $20 now. :-)

#2 Replacing some utilities with C or Rust versions would help. I use a C framework style library to 
make the replacement easier.

#3 Take the junk out of GTK to make it perform. That would make many program upgrades easy.

My 16 GB machine easily handles a file cache for my 2 TB disks. Some of my 4 TB disks blow out the 
cache. 64 GB would be nice.

On 1/1/24 12:45, Russell Coker via linux-aus wrote:
> We have an ongoing problem of system bloat.  Linux laptops with 8G of RAM
> aren't doing much more than laptops with 96M of RAM did 25 years ago.  Yes we
> have new features such as Bluetooth and integrated controls for pausing audio
> etc but that sort of thing doesn't justify 80* more RAM.
> 
> I think that a way of alleviating this problem is to gamify it.  Make a
> contest to find the best reduction of memory in commonly used FOSS programs
> and give recognition at the next Everything Open conference.  Reduction can be
> by optimising the source of a program, optimising configuration, or developing
> a way of easily using alternative less memory hungry programs.
> 
> Give the best contestants small trophys (a quick Google suggests that's $20
> including delivery) and everyone who does something noteworthy a mention on
> the web site.
> 
> I think this would be easy to run, entertaining for delegates, and good for
> the community.
> 
> What do you think?
> 
> 
> PS I tried sending this directly to the council but hit an SPF problem.
>