This is the set of configurations I use more frequently when setting up a RaspberryPI as desktop enviroment. Probably there’s better options and solutions, but I like to use this simple steps to improve the performance of my RaspberryPI setup for the kind of work I do.
Increase SWAP memory
The RPI memory is very limited, anf for certain cases we would fall short. There’s two main options I use to set specific memory limitations for RPI desktop setups.
sudo dphys-swapfile setup
sudo /etc/init.d/dphys-swapfile stop
sudo /etc/init.d/dphys-swapfile start
Enable Turbo Mode
In order to increase performance, we can enable the Turbo Mode by using the appropiated options in the config.txt file:
force_turbo=1
boot_delay=1
The parameters below are used to overclock the RPI3 CPU to 1.35ghz. Your CPU or settings could be different, please check what parameters are supported by your RPI.
arm_freq=1350
core_freq=500
over_voltage=4
disable_splash=1
Shared Memory for GPU
The settings below are recommended for cases where the RPI don’t use the UI.
gpu_mem=16
For cases where UI is used, you should increase the memory to 32mb.
gpu_mem=32
GUI installation (Debian Stretch Lite)
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y
sudo apt-get install -y raspberrypi-ui-mods rpi-chromium-mods
sudo reboot
sudo apt-get install lightdm
Enable GUI and autologin
raspi-config
Follow the options to activate the autologin on “Boot option”->”Desktop / CLI”->”Desktop autologin”`
Useful links