How to run browser fast enough to use Facebook?

[eccampbell]

I'm disappointed in finding a combination that enables me to use Facebook. I first tried lubuntu and it runs a new enough version of Firefox, but Facebook slows the system to a crawl. Chromium was no better.

I turned to Puppy and -- wow, what a difference in speed. But Firefox is too old, says Facebook ("update your browser") and SeaMonkey, same. In fact, I'm on SeaMonkey now and opened a second browser tab to Facebook. This input window (in the first tab) slowed down so much it took 20 seconds to read each keystroke until I closed Facebook. CPU usage (top or htop) jump to 100% and stays, maybe down to 98% for brief moments. Memory doesn't seem to be an issue. But isn't 2.8 GHtz fast enough?

It's obvious that Puppy will serve me better, if only I can find a browser that FB doesn't overwhelm, or find out how I can configure things better.

Thanks for suggestions!!!

[puppytahruser]

You can try opera browser. And in any browser using mobile.facebook you can speed up your browsing speed.

[Mike Walsh]

Hi, eccampbell. And 'Welcome' to the kennels.

The issue here, I believe, isn't in finding a lightweight browser; there's plenty of those available. The problem is caused more by the fact that FaceBook (like so many popular, modern, web-based platforms) is entirely 'cloud-based'.....and usually FB will insist on your having the newest, most up-to-date browser available.

The problem is further compounded by the fact that modern, 'interactive' web solutions are incredibly CPU-intensive.

If you wouldn't mind, full details of your hardware specs would be helpful in letting us make some suggestions for you; make, model, CPU, amount of RAM, HDD size, graphics card (or chip) in use.....that kinda thing. 478-socket P4's are at the very bottom end of the spectrum for what's considered usable in terms of modern browsing, and as for being 'fast enough', well.....the issue is that the 'Netburst' architecture is dinosaur-era compared to, say, a dual-core 775-socket Pentium running 'Core' architecture. Even a current-day single-core Atom 'embedded' processor, running at barely half the speed, will run rings around it, thanks to the far more advanced instruction sets in use. (SSE2's as against SSSE3's, for instance). From the kernel mentioned in the 'Subject description' line of your post, I'm guessing you're also running one of the older Pups?

Which Puppy are you using, BTW? It's always helpful to mention this, too; the kernel by itself usually isn't enough.....there have been so many Pups produced over the years, and more than one will have used the same kernel.

Every Puppy is unique, y'know?

Over to you...


Mike.

[eccampbell]

Thanks for these replies. I will try mobile.facebook immediately. Meanwhile, Mike:

sh-4.1# cat /etc/DISTRO_SPECS
DISTRO_NAME='Lucid '#A three-digit numeric value, version number of this distribution:
DISTRO_VERSION=528#A two-digit numeric value, minor-version number of this distribution:
DISTRO_MINOR_VERSION=00#The distro whose binary packages were used to build this distribution:
DISTRO_BINARY_COMPAT='ubuntu'
DISTRO_FILE_PREFIX='lupu'
DISTRO_COMPAT_VERSION='lucid'
DISTRO_KERNEL_PET='linux_kernel-2.6.33.2-tickless_smp_patched-L3.pet'
DISTRO_IDSTRING='l528120404231153'
DISTRO_PUPPYSFS='lupu_528.sfs'
DISTRO_ZDRVSFS='zl528332.sfs'

Right now the file /mnt/home/lupusave.3fs is about 1.2 gigabytes in size, and the other boot file next to it is lupu-511.sfs

I followed the "How not to install" advice and thus boot every time from the same 500Mb USB stick I used to install. This was before I understood about a frugal install...not sure which is better for me.


The computer is Samsung Neos ZD25 with 2Gb RAM and a 320Gb hd divided into ten partitions, the one in which Puppy files are being the largest at 140Gb with plenty, plenty of space.

sh-4.1# cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor : 0
vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 15
model : 2
model name : Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.80GHz
stepping : 9
cpu MHz : 2793.264
cache size : 128 KB
fdiv_bug : no
hlt_bug : no
f00f_bug : no
coma_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 2
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe up pebs bts cid xtpr
bogomips : 5586.52
clflush size : 64
cache_alignment : 128
address sizes : 36 bits physical, 32 bits virtual

According to lspci, the graphics card is nVidia NV18 [GeForce4 MX 440 AGP 8x] (rev c1)

I noticed an option under Quickpet 4.5 "Nvidia drivers: a choice for older or newer cards," but the choices offered seemed to have nothing to do with me. The graphics work fine for everything else so I doubt that's a problem.

I can post the whole lspci listing if that would be helpful.

[eccampbell]

And every puppy is indeed unique. Ours is the same age as this computer, got cataracts, doesn't hear very well, and has become finicky about eating dry pellets (canned food only, or table scraps which I try to limit). Still frisky, though -- does she still count as a puppy?

[Flash]

Eccampbell, I don't know what is causing the problem you're having, but I don't think it's the browser, and the specs of your computer's hardware are more than good enough for Facebook. May we assume that you've been able to use Facebook from the same computer and Internet connection, only a different OS?

[Sailor Enceladus]

I have the same speed issues with Facebook and many other heavy sites on my older single core laptop. Firefox 28 is faster than that the latest but is missing some functionality as you say, I've tried m.facebook.com and iphone.facebook.com but pictures are lower quality and I like the normal interface more in general, not sure if mobile.facebook.com is different. m.facebook.com works on links, dillo, and netsurf browsers too I think which might be a bit faster because I don't think it uses Javascript. Maybe there is a way to run a "mobile Facebook app" somewhere for puppy, that would be interesting. In my experience, the standalone discord app doesn't really run any faster than in the browser though.

[kerl]

I've yet to try kmeleon under wine. Facebook goes pretty well on winxp.
They have a forum for linux users: http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/list.php?11

[Mike Walsh]

@Sailor:-

Just thought of summat, and gave it a shot. 'm.facebook.com' runs OK in QtWeb, too.....which is one that I'd recommend for a P4-based box. Very lightweight, with a small footprint. Its only flaw is that it has problems with certificates.


Mike.

[kerl]

this video may help
https://youtu.be/FgYnRBiBjqM
it is applied a configuration for Facebook, within adblock plus for Firefox, in order to reduce too much cpu usage.
perhaps this setting can be used on Seamonkey

Edit:

the above video explained here:
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php ... st12994442

[puppytahruser]

m.facebook or mobile.facebook or free.facebook those are option for using facebook in low config pc/mobile/tab. Not all option are available but basic task can be done.

[kerl]

try some browser extension to block ads and unnecessary content to improve performance.

Scrolling pages with lots of photos may also clog up old graphic cards, gpu,etc
so you may want to try disabling images and multimedia on your browser.
It would be handy some browser extension to do that and place a description instead so that the user can load multimedia elements one by one by clicking upon such descriptions.

I've read that something called "firefox multi-process function" makes browsing faster, but all add-ons should be disabled.

[kerl]

Other possible solutions:

The extension from fbpurity.com

The cli tool called "cputool" available on debian/ubuntu repositories

[anewuser]

What works the most on my end (atom netbook) is going to the mobile version of facebook m.facebook.com

Disable flash/media. In the most extreme case disable javascript, but you will lose a lot of functionality.

[fatguy]

What works the most on my end (atom netbook) is going to the mobile version of facebook m.facebook.com

Disable flash/media. In the most extreme case disable javascript, but you will lose a lot of functionality.

My thoughts exactly.

One must run mobile versions of many websites as websites today are more about being applications through browsers which require higher resources and technologies to be used rather than simply displaying what you need when you need it.


Mobile sites, FTW. This is why I need to get the youtube-viewer working. I have used it previously in other variants of linux but am striking out in puppy.

[eccampbell]

Finally, back to Puppy and back to this forum.

I was a couple months struggling but it seems my problem was a combination of trying to coax the full modern Facebook to behave -- mobile.facebook turns out to be the only way for me to work actively -- and a failing hard disk.

I tried various lightweight distros, ran e2fsck multiple times on multiple partitions, only to scavenge an older HD from a box I'd found in the garbage; though the box was rusty from rain apparently the hermetical sealing saved the disk. Saved all important data from the bad disk before it conked.

Thanks to everyone who contributed here; I learned a lot from asking this forum question. Sorry for seeming to have abandoned all who offered help: anewuser and puppytahruser and kerl and Sailor Enceladus and fatguy (Flash: no, that wasn't the case). Mike Walsh in particular was spot on.

I'm using Tahrpup now instead of Lucid, mounted the computer on a treadmill to make a walking desk. No good too much sitting.

[Mike Walsh]

Hi again, eccampbell.

Ah, good; glad to hear you're sorted at long last! Failing hard drives can, indeed, present all manner of weird & wonderful symptoms that are not always easy to diagnose. The symptoms themselves can sometimes get in the way of the diagnosis...!

Anyway, that what's we like doing on here; helping people out with problems. We may not, individually, know everything about everything - most of us have our interests & specialities - but between us all, I think it's fair to say we can usually get to the '/root' (sorry; couldn't resist it) of most conundrums.

Glad we could help. Enjoy Puppy!


Mike.

[rockedge]

hey I am running 2 machines...one with 4 cores the other 2 cores...one has 8 gigs of RAM the other 16gigs.....can run 32 bit 64 bit anything....Puppy Linux runs absolutely the best...fast on both machines usually the program is running before I hear the mouse go "click"...but Facebook........runs horribly slow on both using Lucid 5.2.8 UPUP 3.9.92,Tahr 605 PAE no-PAE and Xenial in 32 or 64 bit.......facebook crawls sometimes....using Firefox Quantum or 52 ESR tried 50 even.....Palemoon , Light, Seamonkey, Slimjet, Waterfox all go well with anything else just not Facebook....
I thought maybe my connection to the Internet.....no....everything else blazes along at decent rates....so in the end I wonder how much load the coders over at FB think the average machine can handle? What machines do they test their own code on? what connection speeds? I sometimes just "kill" the browser with Facebook and do something else because it is no fun watching the browser load and load and load...........

Chrome and Facebook???? no way.

[bigpup]

Have you tried these suggestions from FaceBook help?
https://www.facebook.com/help/1416643995215690/?ref=u2u

[Mike Walsh]

Chrome and Facebook???? no way.

Facebook, period?? NO WAY!! UH-UH..!!!



Why bother with it at all? Social networking SUCKS.




Mike.