KDE desktop vs Xbuntu - CPU difference

[urdrwho5]

I've been running Kubuntu 12.04 LTS and using KDE desktop. Yesterday I wanted to check out Xubuntu desktop so I installed it.

I'm trying to figure out which is best for my eyes (eye candy) and which my old HP pavillion 5000 laptop likes.

So I tried some testing. I ran Firefox and VLC on both, using same open tabs on FF and playing the same music on VLC.
Using System monitor what I found is --

When KDE first starts CPU goes to 100% and it stayed there for a while and then settled down to a chart showing 25% to 37% in the CPU history.

When Xbuntu first starts for one very, very short moment CPU goes to 100% but it quickly settles to 15% to 25% in the CPU history.

I have 2 gig of RAM and don't really see much if any difference between the two. I might --- just might --- hear the fans running more at first in KDE.

There are some other differences such as in KDE I have Veromix widget installed and I can use the laptop buttons to control the volume in VLC. I haven't found how to do the same in Xubuntu.

To me KDE has more eye candy.

So which desktop to keep?

[claydoh]

Lol, the endless debate on desktops.

KDE has eye candy, Xubuntu not really.
The initial spike you see in KDE is likely the nepomuk file indexing, another feature that something like Xfce does not have. It is entirely up to you.

I think that even with an older laptop, you might (having 2 gb ram) try a newer release of either version - KDE has slimmed down a bit in a few places since 12.04, especially the pesky file indexer. If you feel slightly adventurous, 14.04 might be worth a try.

In the long run, as you run more variety of software, you might find Xfce (Xubuntu) or even Lxde (Lubuntu -my fave lite flavour of Ubuntu) a better deal. Unless you can't live without the candy. then, there is only one choice

[urdrwho5]

For some time I was running 14.04 but it was giving my Nvidia card a fit. I was constantly getting strange video problems. It got to the point that I couldn't take it anymore and reverted back to 12.04 some older kernels.

Can I turn off nepomuk file indexing?

Ha ha --- yes he endless debate on desktops. Sometimes choices can be a problem but it is fun to debate, to think and to consider. Something ya don't get with windows.

Lol, the endless debate on desktops.

KDE has eye candy, Xubuntu not really.
The initial spike you see in KDE is likely the nepomuk file indexing, another feature that something like Xfce does not have. It is entirely up to you.

I think that even with an older laptop, you might (having 2 gb ram) try a newer release of either version - KDE has slimmed down a bit in a few places since 12.04, especially the pesky file indexer. If you feel slightly adventurous, 14.04 might be worth a try.

In the long run, as you run more variety of software, you might find Xfce (Xubuntu) or even Lxde (Lubuntu -my fave lite flavour of Ubuntu) a better deal. Unless you can't live without the candy. then, there is only one choice

[claydoh]

Can I turn off nepomuk file indexing?

somewhere in system settings, I believe.

[urdrwho5]

I went to start up and shut down in system setting and un-checked Nepomuk, re-started and the CPU cycles are much, much lower. I wonder what that process does?

I wonder if it is like the indexer in Windows? I have that process shut off in Windows.

somewhere in system settings, I believe.

[claydoh]

It indexes files for searching (including contents) and also provides tagging features, the so-called "semantic desktop"

[SteveRiley]

KDE dropped Nepomuk with the release of KDE Applications 4.13 in April 2014; the last Kubuntu to include Nepomuk was Trusty (14.04). Now, KDE includes Baloo, a much lighter weight indexing tool.

KDE...settled down to a chart showing 25% to 37% in the CPU history.
Xbuntu...settles to 15% to 25% in the CPU history.

Those numbers seem awfully high. At idle, my ThinkPad T520 (Core i7-2620M, 8 GB RAM) runs the CPU between 2% and 4% according to ksysguard (System Monitor). Curiously, ksysguard consumes more CPU when it runs than does any other program.

[NickStone]

KDE has eye candy, Xubuntu not really.

When you type Xubuntu do you really mean XFCE?

Also XFCE has eye candy it just looks different to KDE because it uses GTK+2 not QT4

[NickStone]

...ksysguard consumes more CPU when it runs than does any other program.

Which is why you should use something like Htop in terminal.

[urdrwho5]

Well I thought that I installed the Xubuntu desktop. I had asked how to install the Xbuntu desktop and used
sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends xubuntu-desktopWhen I get a log in screen it gives thre options:

KDE
XFCE
Xbuntu

Maybe the XFCE and Xbuntu choices are the same. When I boot into them XFCE abd Xbuntu look exactly alike.

When you type Xubuntu do you really mean XFCE?

Also XFCE has eye candy it just looks different to KDE because it uses GTK+2 not QT4

[urdrwho5]

I don't see any need for me to even have it running. I don't do a lot of file searching and when I do it isn't like I can't wait for a moment or two.

It indexes files for searching (including contents) and also provides tagging features, the so-called "semantic desktop"

[claydoh]

Well I thought that I installed the Xubuntu desktop. I had asked how to install the Xbuntu desktop and used
sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends xubuntu-desktopWhen I get a log in screen it gives thre options:

KDE
XFCE
Xbuntu

Maybe the XFCE and Xbuntu choices are the same. When I boot into them XFCE abd Xbuntu look exactly alike.

Yes, what you have is barely more than a base Xfce install, approx 70 packages vs approx 450 for a full Xubuntu. The "--no-install-recommends" part leaves out a lot of stuff that Xubuntu adds to make a full on desktop, but for many adds a lot of applications and tools, which may be considered bloat-y for many who want to try different desktops.

[urdrwho5]

Ah now I understand why the install was such a small amount of MBs. I think it was about 85 MB.

I do have several distros on a stick that I use YUMI and can't ever find anything I like better than the KDE. TheXfce isn't bad and I did get my screen image installed. Since the install is such a small package I'll possibility keep it and switch back and forth to give ita try.

Yes, what you have is barely more than a base Xfce install, approx 70 packages vs approx 450 for a full Xubuntu. The "--no-install-recommends" part leaves out a lot of stuff that Xubuntu adds to make a full on desktop, but for many adds a lot of applications and tools, which may be considered bloat-y for many who want to try different desktops.