Tip  

You can improve the performance of the GNOME Desktop by optimizing the settings of the Nautilus window manager.

Action  

1. Open a Nautilus window.

2. Choose Edit -> Preferences.

3. Select Performance.

4. Make sure all options are set to Local File Only or Never.

Tip  

If you run the GNOME Desktop remotely over a slow network, you can adjust the desktop background settings to improve performance. 

Action  

1. Open the Applications menu.

2. Choose Desktop Preferences -> Background.

3. Click on the No Picture button.

4. Select Solid color in the Background Style drop-down list.

Tip 

You can change your window frame theme to a more basic selection to improve performance. 

Action 

1. Open the Applications menu.

2. Choose Desktop Preferences -> Theme.

3. Click the Window Frames tab.

4. Select a basic theme, for example Atlanta.

Tip 

Reducing the number of applets in your panels can improve performance. 

Action 

Remove applets from your panels that you are not using.  

Tip 

Using terminals with transparent backgrounds can affect the performance of the GNOME Desktop. 

Action 

If your terminals have transparent backgrounds, then perform the following actions in a terminal:

1. Open the Edit menu.

2. Select Profiles.

3. Open the Effects tab.

4. Select the None (use solid color) option.

Tip 

You can improve performance by enabling windows to move in wireframe mode. 

Action 

Run the following command:  

gconftool-2 -s /apps/metacity/sun_extensions/wireframe_move_resize -t bool true

Tip 

The GNOME 2.0 Desktop includes support for the mediaLib^TM libraries. Installing these libraries can noticeably improve the performance of the GNOME Desktop.

Action 

See the mediaLib website for information on installation of this package: http://www.sun.com/processors/vis/mlib.html

Tip 

How do I improve the performance of CDE applications in the GNOME 2.0 Desktop? 

Action 

By default the following CDE programs are turned off when you log in to a GNOME Desktop session:

• dtdbcache

  dtdbcache sets up a cache to speed up CDE programs that use actions such as dtfile. If this cache is not set up, CDE applications that use actions run more slowly. To turn this feature back on, you can start this program manually or by launching the program from a startup script. Perform the following actions:

  1. Log in as root, then open the following file: /usr/dt/config/Xsession.Sun-gnome-2.0–fcs

  2. Delete the following line: export SDT_NO_DTDBCACHE="1"

• ttsession

  ttsession is the Tooltalk daemon. In CDE, this program is always launched when the user first logs in. In the GNOME 2.0 Desktop, this daemon is started automatically by the first program that makes use of Tooltalk. You can restore the CDE behavior by using a startup script. Perform the following actions:

  1. Log in as root, then open the following file: /usr/dt/config/Xsession.Sun-gnome-2.0-fcs

  2. Delete the following line: export SDT_NO_TOOLTALK="1"

• dtappgather

  dtappgather is a support program for the CDE Application Manager. Normally, you do not need to run this program in a GNOME Desktop session. However, if you want to run this program, then you can start dtappgather manually or by launching the program from a startup script. Perform the following actions:

  1. Log in as root, then open the following file: /usr/dt/config/Xsession.Sun-gnome-2.0-fcs

  2. Delete the following line: export SDT_NO_APPGATHER="1"