Tips and tweaks for reducing Linux startup time
Ready Set Go
Today's Linux systems boot faster than ever, but many users still get impatient waiting for that first glimpse of desktop. These tweaks will help you get a faster start from the bootloader and kernel.
CPUs, RAM modules, and storage media keep getting faster, but today's Linux systems are still a little too slow at startup for many busy users. With a few useful tools and a little knowledge of the Linux environment, you can shave some seconds from the startup process. Read on for some insights.
systemd-analyze
The systemd-analyze
tool supplied with systemd gives a first impression of where time is being wasted. The time
option outputs the total startup time and shows what portion of that time is used for firmware, bootloader, kernel, and user space:
systemd-analyze time
Listing 1 shows the output, which will vary depending on you firmware, hardware, and software configuration.
Listing 1
Analyzing Start Time
$ systemd-analyze time Startup finished in 3.393s (firmware) + 10.554s (loader) + 2.123s (kernel) + 4.789s (userspace) = 20.860s graphical.target reached after 4.778s in userspace
Test Setup
The test system for this article was a four-year-old Tuxedo BU1406 with a "Kaby Lake" Intel i7-7500U CPU, 32GB DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB NVMe SSD; this machine cost around a thousand dollars when it was new. The operating system was a Debian "Bullseye" ("Testing") from November 19, 2020 with a 5.9.9 kernel and systemd 246.6 set up by the Debian installer. The standard system with Gnome 3.38.1, GDM 3.38.2, and an OpenSSH server provides the user interface. Our focus was primarily on systems with UEFI firmware, which is common now on most modern hardware.
Our goal was to minimize the startup time based on the readings for firmware, loader, and kernel in the systemd-analyze
output. Older systems with significantly longer default boot times typically offer far more potential to improve the boot speed.
Firmware
Users typically have few options to optimize the firmware, because it is often proprietary and only the device manufacturer can change and distribute it. In the default Debian configuration used on the test system, the UEFI firmware starts the GRUB bootloader. Other distributions might use the alternative systemd-boot
boot manager in place of GRUB.
UEFI firmware is now ubiquitous on x86 systems. The startup screen typically announces which key or key pattern you need to press to access firmware settings. In the graphical firmware menu, you can look for functions that slow down the system, like network boot, and turn them off if they are not needed. Some systems even offer option for a faster startup, like Quick Boot or Fast Boot.
Aside from the lack of source code – and thus, lack of freedom – the size of the UEFI firmware is also a major criticism. Alternatives include coreboot for x86 systems, as well as U-Boot and coreboot for ARM systems. Coreboot lets you initialize only enough hardware to boot the operating system. Coreboot firmware is used in Chromebooks and on devices by vendors such as System76 and Purism. The minimal approach results in firmware startup times of less than a second, or even as little as 500ms for some devices.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.
-
ZorinOS 17.1 Released, Includes Improved Windows App Support
If you need or desire to run Windows applications on Linux, there's one distribution intent on making that easier for you and its new release further improves that feature.
-
Linux Market Share Surpasses 4% for the First Time
Look out Windows and macOS, Linux is on the rise and has even topped ChromeOS to become the fourth most widely used OS around the globe.
-
KDE’s Plasma 6 Officially Available
KDE’s Plasma 6.0 "Megarelease" has happened, and it's brimming with new features, polish, and performance.
-
Latest Version of Tails Unleashed
Tails 6.0 is based on Debian 12 and includes GNOME 43.
-
KDE Announces New Slimbook V with Plenty of Power and KDE’s Plasma 6
If you're a fan of KDE Plasma, you'll be thrilled to hear they've announced a new Slimbook with an AMD CPU and the latest version of KDE Plasma desktop.
-
Monthly Sponsorship Includes Early Access to elementary OS 8
If you want to get a glimpse of what's in the pipeline for elementary OS 8, just set up a monthly sponsorship to help fund its continued existence.