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Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,581  

Browser for netbook running Devuan

Hello:

I have run Devuan Linux on an Asus 1000HE (1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 CPU + 2GB RAM) for a few years now.
These days, 5.10.0 with a backported kernel.

I run my coffee roasting software and serves as a access websites when I'm doing maintenance on my box and need to read up on something specific.
I also take with me when I am out of town. Limited but quite useful for a 14 year old netbook.

Now, the thing is that with the last two or three upgrades to firefox-esr, the browser has become incredibly slow/sluggish: practically unusable.

Is there another, lighter on resources (ie:'netbook friendly') that can be used with Devuan instead of Firefox-esr?

Thanks in advance.

Best,

A.

Last edited by Altoid (2023-07-29 19:16:26)

Camtaf

Member

Registered: 2019-11-19

Posts: 436  

Re: Browser for netbook running Devuan

I sometimes run Dillo, but it doesn't work on all websites.

When I had a netbook, I'd give it a 2GB swap partition in addition to its 2GB ram, because it let me use FF at a reasonable speed, not so slow as to drive me nuts waiting.

fsmithred

Administrator

Registered: 2016-11-25

Posts: 2,486  

Re: Browser for netbook running Devuan

I like links2 for lightweight graphical browsing. It makes the internet look like 1995, which I find very soothing.

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,581  

Re: Browser for netbook running Devuan

Hello:

... links2 for lightweight graphical browsing. It makes the internet look like 1995, which I find very soothing.

I'll have a look.

To test, I fired up the devuan_chimaera_4.0.3_i386_desktop-live.iso using a 4GB SD card and although Firefox behaved a bit better but still unusable.
Maybe I should try an older version and pin it or resize the swapfile.

Thanks for your input.

Best,

A.

fsmithred

Administrator

Registered: 2016-11-25

Posts: 2,486  

Re: Browser for netbook running Devuan

I've been playing with an ASUS EEE this week, trying to figure out what software to use on it. There's an old Refracta Jessie on it that runs fine, but daedalus is slow. Anyway, I'm posting this from the firefox-esr I just installed after increasing my swapfile to 2G (same as the RAM). Scrolling is a little choppy, but it seems to be working ok. Only two tabs are open, so I'm not even using half my RAM. Youtube video is choppy, but the audio is smooth. I think the cpu is the limiting issue.

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,581  

Re: Browser for netbook running Devuan

Hello fsr:

... playing with an ASUS EEE ...
... what software to use on it.
... old Refracta Jessie on it that runs fine ...

Mine runs on 5.10.0-0.deb10.16-686-pae (5.10.127-2~bpo10+1).
I have resized the almost never used XP partition to get space for a larger swap file, now set at a ridiculous 12GB for testing purposes.

I reinstalled firefox-esr from the repository but it is practically unusable.
First thing I have always done when installing FF and other similar browsesr is go to the settings page and untick the default settings.

In this version of FF the UI has an absurd reponse time: between two or three sec. to see the box unticked.
Scrolling with the 1000HE's infamous touchpad is another problem, it takes almost two sec. to respond.

I have also noticed the CPU fan starting to blow after a while of doing nothing but what I describe above.
ie: no web related activity whatsoever, just FF open and changing the settings.

A consequence of this is that with the 1000HE plugged in, the battery charging light came on.
I have never seen this happen, not even when running the coffee roasting program.

... the cpu is the limiting issue.

I'm sure of it, but I do not recall this happening with previous versions of FF.

Curiously enough (or not) the usually sluggish (but not unusable) coffee roasting sofware I use on the 1000HE has acquired a snappiness it did not have when the swap file was set at its previous value of 8GB, so one for the good guys.

I have been looking all over but cannot find an older version of firefox-esr to try, ideally two or three behind the acual one.
Know where I can download it to test on the 1000HE?   

Thanks in advance.

Best,

A.

fsmithred

Administrator

Registered: 2016-11-25

Posts: 2,486  

Re: Browser for netbook running Devuan

http://archive.debian.org/debian-securi … refox-esr/

Edit: I just noticed that those might be too old.

Better...
http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/ma … refox-esr/

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,581  

Re: Browser for netbook running Devuan

Hello:

Better...
http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/ma … refox-esr/

Yes, the 91.13esr-1~deb10u1 would be suitable enough to test but I've been there.

Maybe I don't know what I am looking for?
ie: I don't see a "esr-1~deb10u1 i386" version.

Thanks in advance.

Best,

A.

fsmithred

Administrator

Registered: 2016-11-25

Posts: 2,486  

Re: Browser for netbook running Devuan

I don't see it either. That's weird - they have i386 for 78, 102 and 115, but they skipped 91. You might find a suitable version somewhere else. I don't know if Mozilla makes old versions available, or maybe some brownish distro has one that works.

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,581  

Re: Browser for netbook running Devuan

Hello:

... they have i386 for 78, 102 and 115, but they skipped 91.
... might find a suitable version somewhere else.

Found it here.

apt/synaptic won't be aware of it as this was not a .deb file.
The extracted folder is in /opt and symlinked the executable to /user/bin/firefox.

As expected, it loads with no problems and does not stress the CPU: I was able to untick all the boxes as I have always done.
No response delays whatsoever.

So whatever is going on with FF 102.13.0esr, it is poison for the 1000HE.
If by design (ie: not a bug) it is a rather dumb move for a i686 version.

Thanks for your input.

Best,

A.

chris2be8

Member

Registered: 2018-08-11

Posts: 307  

Re: Browser for netbook running Devuan

It might be worth using free and vmstat to see how much your swap file is being used. Eg leave vmstat 10 running in a terminal window while you try to start the slow version of firefox and see what it shows for si and so (swap-in and swap-out). If they sit at zero then firefox must have something else wrong with it.

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 1,581  

Re: Browser for netbook running Devuan

Hello:

... worth using free and vmstat to see how much your swap file is being used.

Yes, but it will have to wait till I have some time to do that.
For now, I seem to have solved the problem by installing 91.9.1esr.

... firefox must have something else wrong with it.

I do not use the 1000HE much, just roast coffee with it one a fortnight and keep it updated.

As I have not had to do any local travel since a couple of years before the pandemic hit, browser usage has been limited to accessing the web to check on something while/if my box was off-line which is not frequent so I cannot really say at which point this started happening.

Although I suspect it is this last (available) version

But something is amiss: either a bug or FF code now does things it did not do in previous versions.
Would not be at all surprised.

Thanks in advance.

Best,

A.

Last edited by Altoid (2023-08-01 11:16:10)

Devarch

Member

Registered: 2022-10-03

Posts: 69  

Re: Browser for netbook running Devuan

May be Palemoon? 2GB RAM is not enough for modern sh.. web with all s..t scripts.

peteswickedale

Member

From: SoCal

Registered: 2019-12-24

Posts: 2  

Re: Browser for netbook running Devuan

I run seamonkey on my HP Mini 110.

stopAI

Member

Registered: 2023-04-04

Posts: 186  

Re: Browser for netbook running Devuan

I run Dillo an w3m.