"readahead" shortens CD boot time

[lilsirecho]

Suzaki;

Operations performed after Xinstall are multiple KDE installs and take a good amount of time in the boot sequence.

I would wonder if the klik .cmg file system might be initiated in X to reduce the size of the CD install of KDE(due to compression of .cmg files of KDE) and complete the install of KDE with .cmg files previously entered by isolinux. This should permit faster boot loading because the KDE file to load would be reduced in size by 50% and may in fact load faster with cramfs which decompresses the .cmg files.

Perhaps the cramfs file system is not available, however, at the install of X. It may however be ready soon thereafter?

But then, also, .cmg files may not be compatible with isolinux .iso system.

It may also be possible to provide KDE entirely in .cmg files to be called by the user as required.

This would not be an auto load of KDE but a fast boot to X followed by a selective KDE loading process by the user using .cmg files in X.

Or it could be automated.

Have a good day!

[lilsirecho]

Readahead should benefit from utilizing klik .cmg technique.

The .cmg files for KDE could be utilized in the boot sequence to reduce the size of the boot if the .cmg files can be handled by mkisofs in preparing the .iso.

This procedure would cut the size of the KDE material by 50% before mkisofs is applied.

Further, after boot more .cmg files could be downloaded to utilize seldom used KDE files which means less KDE in the boot process. This would eliminate the requirement for loading .cmg files via mkisofs as well as the seldom used KDE files in one approach.

In any event, the boot time should improve with the added .cmg capability for readahead. These files are typically 50% compressed.

If .cmg is compatible with mkisofs, most all files could be .cmg prepped for the boot, those not immediately needed to desktop being de-compressed thereafter????

This might be called double-dipping!

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Asking might get you knowwhere!

[bfree]

In any event, the boot time should improve with the added .cmg capability for readahead. These files are typically 50% compressed.

The main body of data on a Knoppix cd is already compressed (the KNOPPIX/KNOPPIX file on the cd is a compressed cloop image) so using trying to put cmg files inside this compressed image will lead to no space savings or very very little.

[TyphoonMentat]

FYI,
readahead will be used in Feather Linux 0.7.2 automatically for systems with 512Mb RAM and above.

Thanks,
Rob

[lilsirecho]

typhoonmentat

Very good. I am sure it will reduce boot time for that release esp. if KDE.

My diatribe about readahead includes using .cmg files after the X boot is completed. Then select the KDE .cmg files to be loaded perhaps even automate the install from .cmg. This means less boot time to useful material and less boot files to load. Perhaps not elegant but certainly should work and only catch is download time if from internet but could be loaded via flash USB.

Best of luck with that new release!

[lilsirecho]

Suzaki;

I understand that the primary cause for response of low ram systems is that the minirt.gz requires ram for execution in the boot process.

CDRom elements at boot time do not require ram to install.

[ijuz]

Hello,
I'm wondering what else is so different with: knoppix_v3.7_20041208-20050107+bootchart.iso
because booting takes on my testbox (XP1800, 512 MB ram, DVD drive) 154 sec
with readahead 127 sec

But the normal Knoppix 3.7 just takes 99 sec.

Are there any other special things in this version that are making it slow?