Could Someone Give Advice on Optimising Pinebook Pro for Software Development?

[Octaviah]

Hello everyone 

I hope everyone is well I am looking for the collective wisdom of this community on optimising the Pinebook Pro for software development applications. I have been using the Pinebook Pro for a few months and have been very happy with its capabilities. But I have experienced a few issues and would like to look for advice on how to effectively address them.

My current setup
Manjaro ARM. I have kept with this because it is the default, but I am prepared to try other options if they provide better performance for development work.
Default eMMC I have been thinking about upgrading to an NVMe SSD; but have not taken the step yet.
Python is my primary programming language, followed by web development with React and Node.js and some light Java and C++ work.
I use Visual Studio Code and; on occasion; JetBrains IDEs.

• When working on larger codebases, particularly ones involving significant web development such as hosting a local server with many Node.js processes; I have noticed that the pinebook pro lags slightly. There are intermittent lags and delays that affect my workflow. Is this something that other people have experienced? If yes; what adjustments and upgrades did you find to be beneficial in resolving these issues?
  
• While I enjoy the pinebook pro movement; I have discovered that the battery runs faster when I do heavier tasks; such as working with Docker and generating code. I am asking whether there are any tips or strategies for increasing battery life during development sessions. Would a different operating system assist; or are there specific manjaro settings that I need change?
  
• I have read that heat concerns might cause performance slowdown under heavy loads. I am thinking about installing a thermal pad and maybe even a modest fan mod. Has anyone tried these modifications? If so; how was your experience; and would you recommend taking this route?
  
• I am really considering upgrading to an NVMe SSD for increased performance; but I have heard different opinions about how well the Pinebook Pro handles NVMe disks. Did you notice a difference in performance after making this upgrade? Were there any compatibility concerns, or did certain brands/models of SSDs perform better than others?
  
• I am enthusiastic about researching different software setups. would using a lightweight desktop environment such as XFCE and LXQt improve the development experience over the usual setup? Or possibly a different Linux distribution entirely?
  

Also I explored some topics related to this Happy eMMC devops and SDcard OS usage for Pinebook Pro Newbies but I did not get the sufficient solution of my query so I would really want to get some help from a more experienced person

I am really enjoying my Pinebook Pro and hope to get the most out of it for my software development needs. I'd like to hear from other developers who have optimised their Pinebook Pro for comparable uses. Any insights; suggestions; or shared experiences are much appreciated

Thank you in advance for your help

I look forward to hearing from the community.

[WilliamThompson]

slitherio Definitely consider upgrading to an NVMe SSD. This will significantly improve I/O performance, especially for large projects.