Linux Mint基于Ubuntu轻量化：移除了哪些组件实现低内存占用？

Great question! I’ve bounced between Ubuntu GNOME and Linux Mint Cinnamon over the years, so I can break down the key tweaks and removals that make Mint feel so much lighter in idle state. Your memory numbers (~780MB for Ubuntu vs ~440MB for Mint) line up with what I’ve observed too—here’s what’s driving that difference:

1. Stripped-Back Pre-Installed Apps #

Ubuntu GNOME ships with a lot of default software that Mint either cuts entirely or replaces with lighter alternatives:

• Ubuntu includes tools like GNOME Boxes (virtualization), Cheese (webcam), and Totem (media player) out of the box. Mint skips these by default, or uses leaner options like Celluloid instead of Totem.
• It also removes legacy bloat like the old Amazon Shopping Lens (which used to inject Amazon results into GNOME search) and niche GNOME utilities most home users never touch.
  Even small apps add up when they’re running in the background or contributing to initial memory overhead.

2. Optimized Desktop Environment Stack #

Cinnamon is a fork of GNOME 3, but it’s built to prioritize resource efficiency over GNOME’s "all features included" approach:

• Cinnamon replaces some of GNOME’s heavier background services. For example, GNOME runs integrated online account sync and cloud service daemons by default, while Mint makes these optional (so they don’t eat memory unless you enable them).
• It disables unnecessary accessibility services and extra gnome-keyring daemons that Ubuntu enables by default—services that run even if you never use accessibility tools.

3. Disabled/Removed Unneeded System Services #

Ubuntu includes several background daemons that Mint strips out or turns off:

• Ubuntu Advantage support services: These are for enterprise users and run checks in the background. Mint removes them entirely since they’re irrelevant for most home users.
• Snapd: Ubuntu has Snapd running by default even if you don’t use snap packages, which adds a noticeable chunk of idle memory. Mint sticks to APT packages and doesn’t install Snapd unless you explicitly choose to.
• Optional NetworkManager plugins: Mint disables plugins for niche VPN providers or network protocols that most users won’t need, cutting down on idle memory usage.

4. Lighter Core Tool Alternatives #

Mint swaps out some of Ubuntu’s resource-heavy core apps for leaner alternatives:

• Instead of the bloated GNOME Software center, Mint uses its own Software Manager built on APT, which uses far less memory at idle.
• The default file manager Nemo is a fork of GNOME’s Nautilus, but it removes default features like integrated cloud provider support (you can add it if you want) that add unnecessary memory overhead in idle state.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t just about "removing stuff"—it’s about curating the entire system to only include what most users actually need, avoiding the "kitchen sink" approach that Ubuntu takes with its default install.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者shuberman