Question about how Antix is technically optimized for old hardware

[Member Re1000]

Hi and nice to meet you antiX community !

I would like to ask a question I haven’t found any answer, pardon me if I missed the post or place where it would have been eventually asked.

I am wondering how is antiX specifically optimized to support old hardware, like underneath, is it depending on the kernel config which would have been super stripped, “aggressive and/or specific” flags used during compilation of the binaries ? I guess you are using glibC and not musl, so I _really_ wonder what makes the antiX magic here.

For some context, one day I tried to install Gentoo on a very tiny and old laptop (with an Intel atom N450 or alike), but out of the box, with barely nothing installed on the system it was actually quite slow…
Up to this day I wonder why and how antiX worked better for this same laptop (which took 4 days to compile Gentoo lol).

If you know anything about how this is performed technically, I would be really glad to know about it in detail. Thanks!

Edit: remove smileys and rephrase

• This topic was modified 7 months, 2 weeks ago by Re1000.

[Member oops]

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… The kernel config for sure, and a lot of others tweaks I guess .

[Member Re1000]

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Yes, I guess I could compare some kernel configs with the one from antiX for a start, but also would like to know about those specific tweaks if any.

[Moderator BobC]

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I’ve noticed that antiX has drivers for older hardware that no longer work on other distros.

I would think as far as optimization, they put a lot of effort into that as time goes by, and the end result is it’s quicker, and as the hardware gets older, it’s STILL quicker.

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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Without a doubt, antiX has a well-configured kernel that is both efficient and well optimized for older systems.

The main things that give antiX access to a variety of systems are Version 4 series kernels for really old systems and a modern 5.10 series kernel for modern systems that works on hardware as old as 10-12 years old, sometimes even older.

Add to this a very careful choice of lightweight applications, and even our “Full” distribution can run across an incredibly wide range of systems.

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Brian Masinick

[Member punranger]

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I always figured that the minimalistic implementation of a file manager and a window manager as opposed to an integrated desktop environment was part of that magic. I try to keep my setups as vanilla as possible. Exactly how and why this works so well, I can’t answer.

antiX linux: The best way to revive an old computer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCTaUAP6sSg

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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+1

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Brian Masinick

[Member marcelocripe]

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Read Understanding desktop-session-antix and About antiX .

[Member marcelocripe]

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And:

What is antiX and how to try it out or install it.
Short essential how-to list for the complete Linux newbie.
How-to install applications – 2020 version.
How to: correctly use antiX forum.

[Member ModdIt]

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With an antiX installation you have the kernel config for both kernels and complete list of
installed software at your fingertips. Same goes for system setup and tools. Majority is
open source. Disclaimer because some drivers, codecs aand microcode are not.

May I politely suggest; Do as other earnestly interested persons do: start application brain,
search as neccesary invest some time and learn rather than asking, reads more like expecting!,
others to spoon feed you.

• This reply was modified 7 months, 2 weeks ago by ModdIt.

[Member Re1000]

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Thank you all for your answers, those points are really interesting since I was wondering if I did not forget any concept that could play a role into that efficiency.
It was really from a global approach that I was wondering.

@punranger, I completely understand you as this is also the approach I am applying all the time now. I haven’t missed any feature proposed by say KDE, which just feels like total bloat. Yet this didn’t suffice for the use case I mentioned with other distros.

I should mention I didn’t keep antiX installed on the laptop since it was a long time ago, and got carried away by other experiments on other machines I have done in the meantime.
This question was left unanswered for me to my regrets (or fault whatever), and since I haven’t installed it back for many reasons, I dared to ask here to maybe put an end to it from users who are actively using the distro since I am not.

@ModdIt, I hear your advice and know what you mean, though you know, I might have asked 4 questions at most on forums in my entire life, with more than 10 years of using different distros. I haven’t waited for anyone to spoon feed me telling me I can read a kernel config and cat a file to know which software is installed on the default system…

I feel I bothered some persons (which I might be wrong feeling so) just because I give the feeling I did not research for anything, yet I did on this particular topic (here, reddit, google…), but haven’t found any precise answer until now, because I dared to ask. I would tend to believe it’s a right, especially when you don’t really know what you are looking for.

Anyway thank you all again for your time and valuable information.

[Member ModdIt]

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Yes, I at least was irritated, you ask for specifics which are open to
scrutiny at any time for anyone.

antiX is open, kernelsfrom both antiX and upstream debian come with a
config in clear readable form. You can copy it build a new kernel with it
or just take a read. Building a kernel is well described in debian docs.
There is also a plain text list of installed software included.

Packages chosen for stability and efficiency.
Lightweight well setup window managers to put icing on the cake.
You can read about the philosophy and implimentation on forum.
Access everything from a running system, live is enough.

Reddit and google searches are a roundabout and very inneficient way to find
specific information on the distro. Well worth reading the history of how antiX
evolved too.

[Member iznit]

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wondering if I did not forget any concept that could play a role into that efficiency

/etc/skel
Re1000, browse the files therein to learn what application-specific tweaked configurations are pre-installed

/usr/local/bin /usr/local/lib
browse here to see the many preinstalled antix utilities and such. Mentioning this because it’s unexpected [[[non-conventional]]] location for preinstalled goods.

sysctl.conf
Look at the tweaked defaults in antix sysctl.conf compared to other distros.
Really though, nowadays it’s hard to “compare” because few other distros are shipping a non-systemd init

I haven’t installed it back

Well to inspect all the things, while running your other distro you can mount the antix iso and “unsquashfs” the rootfs file then browse the files

(here, reddit, google…), but haven’t found any precise answer until now

I agree, haven’t found a tidy + complete documentation. Answers are piecemeal scattered across years of discussions, and sometimes I’m baffled trying to figure out what keyword or phrase I shoud be searching for. More confusingly, a “right” answer previously provided to someone else could be not-quite-right for you….. often depends on whether you’re using full version vs base or core, which of the 3 preinstalled desktop managers [[[or other, or NONE]]]…..

editing to add one more point
Ouch, painfully often the answers and discussions we find [[[and even docs sometimes]]] are outdated

• This reply was modified 7 months, 2 weeks ago by iznit.

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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As far as “perfect documentation”, no, our documentation is NOT 100% perfect, but one of our forum members, PPC, has done a LOT to write about several helpful topics, and another user, who is VERY APPRECIATIVE of the contributions that PPC has made has REPEATEDLY referenced works by PPC.

Former member Xecure, prior to departure, also did a LOT to help. Numerous others have done stuff too; I’ll name a few more (past) and present members: Skidoo – REWRITE of one file manager, zzzFM, plus “Slimski” window manager, forum admin, Dave, who does a lot, often in the background.

We know our distro founder ALWAYS is doing good things, and I haven’t mentioned countless others who have also contributed; no intention to slight anyone, but I’m also a retiree with limited time, and gradually “forgetting” things, so I’ll just add a general comment that MANY other people, both within and outside of our community have contributed code, features, and ideas that are a part of our current software; anonymous or announced elsewhere, they are all appreciated and valued!

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Brian Masinick

[Moderator Brian Masinick]

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Marcelo Cripe is one user who cites the works of PPC several times each week! Thank you Marcelo!

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Brian Masinick

[Author]

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