Best Practices for Optimizing MoodleBox Performance

Isemuvla

Hi everyone,

I'm currently setting up a MoodleBox for a small learning environment and wanted to get some insights on best practices for optimizing performance. While I've gone through the documentation and some past discussions, I’d love to hear from experienced users about real-world configurations that have worked well.

Here are a few questions I have:

Hardware Considerations: I'm using a Raspberry Pi 4 with 4GB RAM. Would upgrading to 8GB make a noticeable difference in performance, or is 4GB sufficient for a small group (about 20 users)?
Storage Optimization: Would an external SSD improve speed compared to the default microSD card setup? If so, what are the recommended configurations?
Network Stability: Since MoodleBox is meant to function as a self-contained server, what are the best practices for ensuring a stable WiFi connection when multiple students connect simultaneously?
Plugin and Theme Management: Are there any plugins or themes known to slow down MoodleBox significantly? Conversely, are there lightweight alternatives that you’d recommend?
Resource Usage Monitoring: Is there a straightforward way to monitor CPU, RAM, and disk usage in real time to prevent slowdowns? Any particular tools or scripts that are helpful?

If anyone has experience fine-tuning their MoodleBox for better speed and reliability, I’d appreciate any advice, configurations, or tweaks that have worked for you.

I also checked this: https://discuss.moodlebox.net/d/466-moodlebox-480-released-with-raspberry-pi-connect

Thanks in advance for your help!

Nicolas

Isemuvla Hardware Considerations: I'm using a Raspberry Pi 4 with 4GB RAM. Would upgrading to 8GB make a noticeable difference in performance, or is 4GB sufficient for a small group (about 20 users)?

4 GB is sufficient for a small group in most cases. Depending on what you're using (e.g. if you install Maxima and use Stack questions), more RAM won't hurt.

Isemuvla Storage Optimization: Would an external SSD improve speed compared to the default microSD card setup? If so, what are the recommended configurations?

Yes, you should expect a slight improve in speed. I'd suggest any NVMe drive with a USB3 connexion.

Isemuvla Network Stability: Since MoodleBox is meant to function as a self-contained server, what are the best practices for ensuring a stable WiFi connection when multiple students connect simultaneously?

Do not try to connect more than 20 devices simultaneously to the MoodleBox AP
Do not put your MoodleBox in a metallic case
Do not put your MoodleBox too far away from the user's devices

Isemuvla Plugin and Theme Management: Are there any plugins or themes known to slow down MoodleBox significantly? Conversely, are there lightweight alternatives that you’d recommend?

I've not noticed with the few plugins I've tested (but I've not tested many of them).

Isemuvla Resource Usage Monitoring: Is there a straightforward way to monitor CPU, RAM, and disk usage in real time to prevent slowdowns? Any particular tools or scripts that are helpful?

You could use the MoodleBox dashboard, or the command line htop.