low memory and flash (youtube, etc)

Jacek Poplawski · 2013-09-08 19:27:31

Do you know how much memory is needed to use flash on sites like youtube?
I was really surprised.

My first PC was 386 with 2MB RAM, my first PC with Linux was pentium with 8MB RAM or something like that, and I remember I used desktop environment there.
Yesterday I installed Arch on old laptop with 384MB RAM,
There was no problem with console, everything was really responsive as expected. I was able to install X and xfce4, the problem started with Firefox.
When I enter youtube or other sites with videos, everything stops, I was watching memory and looks like even if I add 1GB of swap it's not able to run.
I tried chromium and epiphany. I also installed gnash for a test, just to find out it works better (very slow video instead no video at all).

Do you have any experiences with this issue? Is there any way I can make flash usable on low memory?

karol · 2013-09-08 19:49:21

I have a computer with 512 MB and 256 MB graphics card. YT works OK if I pick a low quality setting, otherwise the performance is the problem, not available RAM, although I haven't used that computer extensively for a while.

nomorewindows · 2013-09-08 20:07:03

FF can run youtube in HTML5 not needing flash.
However, you can use one of the youtube utilities in the repos and in the AUR to skip using a web browser (which is usually inefficient on memory usage). You can even run youtube from a webkit browser.

karol · 2013-09-08 20:14:24

nomorewindows wrote:

you can use one of the youtube utilities in the repos and in the AUR to skip using a web browser (which is usually inefficient on memory usage).

True, although this may violate ToS.

I have issues related to low amount of RAM when using Google Maps, especially flash-based StreetView and websites with a lot of pictures https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/36574

nomorewindows wrote:

You can even run youtube from a webkit browser.

What's so special about this?
Edit: Ah, do you mean he can use a different browser?

Last edited by karol (2013-09-08 20:15:14)

nomorewindows · 2013-09-08 20:39:26

Minitube is a youtube client that acts more or less just like youtube.

Jacek Poplawski · 2013-09-08 21:15:49

To make it clear - I don't mean how to run youtube, I mean how to use flash on low memory.
Are there any ways to decrease memory usage of flash or are they are any ways to make swap more efficent with flash?

89c51 · 2013-09-08 22:10:43

Have you tried html5 version of YT?? Might be a better.

karol · 2013-09-08 22:31:46

89c51 wrote:

Have you tried html5 version of YT?? Might be a better.

That's not what he wants:

Jacek Poplawski wrote:

To make it clear - I don't mean how to run youtube, I mean how to use flash on low memory.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-09-08 19:27:31

low memory and flash (youtube, etc)

#2 2013-09-08 19:49:21

Re: low memory and flash (youtube, etc)

#3 2013-09-08 20:07:03

Re: low memory and flash (youtube, etc)

#4 2013-09-08 20:14:24

Re: low memory and flash (youtube, etc)

#5 2013-09-08 20:39:26

Re: low memory and flash (youtube, etc)

#6 2013-09-08 21:15:49

Re: low memory and flash (youtube, etc)

#7 2013-09-08 22:10:43

Re: low memory and flash (youtube, etc)

#8 2013-09-08 22:31:46

Re: low memory and flash (youtube, etc)

Board footer