>Look to see if you have DMA enabled like so:
>
>Test your drives read times like so:

Thank you for the suggestions. It looks like DMA is on, but the throughput numbers don't mean much to me. Anything obvious there?

root@linux:~# sudo hdparm /dev/hdb5

/dev/hdb5:
multcount = 16 (on)
IO_support = 1 (32-bit)
unmaskirq = 1 (on)
using_dma = 1 (on)
keepsettings = 0 (off)
readonly = 0 (off)
readahead = 8 (on)
geometry = 2491/255/63, sectors = 6249159, start = 126
root@linux:~# hdparm -tT /dev/hdb5

/dev/hdb5:
Timing buffer-cache reads: 204 MB in 2.00 seconds = 102.00 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 52 MB in 3.06 seconds = 16.99 MB/sec


>Windows was left in the dust on every system I've installed Linux to. Including the Knoppix >cd install.

Is there any way to quantify this for comparison? Are you saying that on the very same computer, Knoppix HD install runs faster than windows? Even on a 500MHz CPU, windows 2000 runs very fast. There is no way Knoppix from the CD runs that fast, and on my system, unfortunately, the Debian HD install is no better than running from the CD.

I am confused, so last night I went to the library and got RH 7.3 and Debian 2.1 I know they are older, but libraries don't have the latest :-)

Anyway, I figured to try and see how they did. Debian was a nightmare to install so I gave up on it <g> and RH went right on and ran just about the same as Knoppix HD install. Tried several different desktops, but they all run too slow to be productive or useful to me.

Click the start button, wait a full second. Open the file manager, wait at least 5 seconds. Do a file search, forget it, its gonna take all night. Yes, I am frustrated as I would like to switch over eventually to LInux, but not at such a cost in speed as its too much of a headache to sit and wait for stuff to happen. I am not quitting by any means, but I am at a lose to know where to turn. I tried Linux about a year ago and quit because it was too slow. I'm back, but its the same problem :-)

>Something is wrong although I'm not sure what. What was it like running from cd? Which >Xserver are you using?

I know it can be fixed because Linux would be dead in the water if everyone's system was this slow, but I don't know how I am going to solve it. UPgrading to a 2G CPU is not an option right now.

I started withKDE, then I tried ICEWM and several others with no real difference. As far as comparing to running from the CD, I would say it about the same. Certainly no improvement from what I can tell.

Got the mount/unmout CD stuff figured. Thanks for the input there.

Much of the problem is too many groups, too many people, and no way to know where to go to get the good answers. I guess too much information can be a bad thing <g>

Much obliged for the assist.

John