[P4M900] UNR jaunty: Slow interface, high CPU load

[Alexander Fomichev]

I try UNR jaunty on my HP2133 netbook.
The interface is very-very slow. It takes up to 2 minutes from icon/category click till system reaction. After a window closing/minimizing desktop is redrawing for 30-60 seconds.
'Top' shows that netbook-launcher process eats from 40 to 98% of CPU load.

[lspci]
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: VIA Technologies, Inc. CN896/VN896/P4M900 Host Bridge [1106:0364]
     Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:3030]
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: VIA Technologies, Inc. CN896/VN896/P4M900 [Chrome 9 HC] [1106:3371] (rev 01)
     Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:3030]

[Neil J. Patel (njpatel)]

Looks like your running with software rendering, not hardware-accelerated rendering, which is why performance is slow. Could you please include your system specs, graphics card spec, attach the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file and finally, could you please run `glxgears` from a terminal for about 30 secs, and paste the output here (it should output a framerate). Marking as incomplete until this info is received.

[Alexander Fomichev (alfonder)]

HP 2133 netbook main specification:
CPU - VIA C7-M ULV 1.2 GHz 128 kb L2-cache
RAM - 1 GB DDR2
Chipset - VIA VN896NB/VT8237S
Video - VIA Chrome9 HC IGP on-board
Display - LCD panel WXGA 1280x768
Full specs could be found at http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/sm/WF06b/321957-321957-64295-306995-306995-3687084-3710157.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_UKEN

xorg.conf is attached above.

Glxgears test results.
windowed mode:
158 frames in 5.0 seconds = 31.512 FPS
178 frames in 5.0 seconds = 35.488 FPS
178 frames in 5.0 seconds = 35.482 FPS
175 frames in 5.0 seconds = 34.916 FPS
178 frames in 5.0 seconds = 35.488 FPS
161 frames in 5.0 seconds = 32.061 FPS
full-screen mode:
35 frames in 5.1 seconds = 6.812 FPS
35 frames in 5.1 seconds = 6.845 FPS
30 frames in 5.2 seconds = 5.825 FPS
32 frames in 5.1 seconds = 6.279 FPS
32 frames in 5.0 seconds = 6.387 FPS
33 frames in 5.1 seconds = 6.500 FPS

[Alexander Fomichev (alfonder)]

Info updated

[James Pain (jamesepain-gmail)]

Fresh install of the latest Ubuntu Netbook Remix today on my HP Mini 2133 and I have the same problem with the same symptoms.

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

Could you also please attach the output of `lspci -vvnn`, and attach your /var/log/Xorg.0.log

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

Please build install the latest openchrome driver according to the
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/OpenChrome

[Alexander Fomichev (alfonder)]

I've tried this before.
The "openChrome 2D driver" method doesn't help. It's all the same as original OpenChrome.
And the "openChrome 3D" variant doesn't work: first using of 3D (for example, "Glxgears") causes X to crash.

[Paul Larson (pwlars)]

This bug has been moved to Ubuntu distribution

[Alexander Fomichev (alfonder)]

Why? Isn't UNR targeted to low-end laptops AKA netbooks? If so, why is it absolutely non-functional on one of them (HP2133)? I suppose UNR has to work with low performance graphic adapters in software emulation mode. Let it be not eye-candy, but fast enough.

[Jayden (jeroenvanderwal-gmail)]

I have the exact same problem on a bit different hp2133. All the programs run smooth, only the new UNR menu has really terrible performance.

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

The slow menu problem is the gnome-panel bug.
Please see:
https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-panel/+bug/12040

[Jayden (jeroenvanderwal-gmail)]

I don't think this problem is the gnome-panel bug, because it's not only slow the first time, it's slow all the time.
It's not a minor slowdown, it's unworkable slow.

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

Please open console and run "top" command.
Which COMMAND eat all CPU power?

[Fizzwizz (shaun-favell)]

I have exactly the same issue. The home menu is unbelievably slow, but once in an application that application works perfectly.

Are we any closer to an answer?

[Jayden (jeroenvanderwal-gmail)]

netbook-launcher is eating up 100% of the cpu power when you click on an icon or category.

[lunkwill (launchpad-lunkwill)]

My Dell Mini 10 (inspiron 1010) is also affected by this bug. netbook-launcher takes many seconds per action and eats 100% CPU. Switching to the traditional ubuntu menu system fixes it (System... Preferences... Main Menu.)

[lunkwill (launchpad-lunkwill)]

After switching from the default VESA drivers to an accelerated driver, the netbook-launcher works okay on the Mini 10 (inspiron 1010).

Also, my previous workaround was incorrect. The correct way to disable netbook-launcher is Preferences... Switch Desktop Mode.

[Clay (clayton-lively)]

i have a similar problem on my mini 9. it would be like comparing a runny nose to a case of pneumonia. with nothing but a terminal running top, 20 to 30 % cpp is used by netbook-launcher. the package seems to have always done this. my pc was shipped with 8.04; when i installed the netbook remix, it slowed down. after upgrading to 9.04, things ran well enough for my needs. now that i am using a pre release, i am poking around. some quick specs:
mem 2 gb
cpu 1.6 ghz
glxgears 300 fp5s (1000 when i watch the terminal window instead)
i have not touched a configuration file.
it seems silly that a package designed for underpowered machines is unable to efficiently idle.

[Clay (clayton-lively)]

whatever was in the most recent update fixed issue for me. it now idles with 0 cpu usage, and 8 seconds of cpu time after 10 minutes of uptime. just earlier it was idling at 30 and matching uptime with its cpu usage time. thanks all of you dedicated developers out there.

[qrto (qrto)]

I'm using netbook-launcher 2.1.5-0ubuntu2, it's using ~25 cpu, when i was using previous version (<2), everything was fine.

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

Try to install official drivers from Via.
More information is avilable at:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam/HP2133/DisplayConfig810

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

Hi.
Try to decrease color depth to 16bit.
Try add the line "DefaultDepth? 16" to the Screen section of xorg.conf

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

Hi.
Please check if the XV (video playing) is working correctly for you (if you can at the latest openchrome revision)

The latest openchrome revision you can find here:
https://edge.launchpad.net/~xorg-edgers/+archive/ppa

[qrto (qrto)]

Hi, i've switched to kubuntu netbook, but i've checked with karmic ubuntu netbook remix fresh install, everything works fine now.

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

So video output XV is working correctly for your chipset?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_video_extension

You can easily change video output in mplayer.

Which application you will use to test XV?

[qrto (qrto)]

XV works fine. Checked with mplayer -vo xv and here's xvinfo output:
X-Video Extension version 2.2
screen #0
  Adaptor #0: "Intel(R) Textured Video"
    number of ports: 16
    port base: 63
    operations supported: PutImage
    supported visuals:
      depth 24, visualID 0x21
    number of attributes: 3
      "XV_BRIGHTNESS" (range -128 to 127)
              client settable attribute
              client gettable attribute (current value is 0)
      "XV_CONTRAST" (range 0 to 255)
              client settable attribute
              client gettable attribute (current value is 0)
      "XV_SYNC_TO_VBLANK" (range -1 to 1)
              client settable attribute
              client gettable attribute (current value is 1)
    maximum XvImage size: 2048 x 2048
    Number of image formats: 5
      id: 0x32595559 (YUY2)
        guid: 59555932-0000-0010-8000-00aa00389b71
        bits per pixel: 16
        number of planes: 1
        type: YUV (packed)
      id: 0x32315659 (YV12)
        guid: 59563132-0000-0010-8000-00aa00389b71
        bits per pixel: 12
        number of planes: 3
        type: YUV (planar)
      id: 0x30323449 (I420)
        guid: 49343230-0000-0010-8000-00aa00389b71
        bits per pixel: 12
        number of planes: 3
        type: YUV (planar)
      id: 0x59565955 (UYVY)
        guid: 55595659-0000-0010-8000-00aa00389b71
        bits per pixel: 16
        number of planes: 1
        type: YUV (packed)
      id: 0x434d5658 (XVMC)
        guid: 58564d43-0000-0010-8000-00aa00389b71
        bits per pixel: 12
        number of planes: 3
        type: YUV (planar)

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

@qrto
You have Intel chipset, not Via.

Do you have HP 2133 laptop?

[qrto (qrto)]

Nope :) I've never said i do :) I have MSI Wind. I've joined this thread cause the symptoms on my MSI Wind were just the same as yours on HP, so i thought it's something not connected to chpiset.

[Bartosz Kosiorek (gang65)]

Try to switch from Ubuntu UNR to original Ubuntu.

It works much faster than UNR.

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

This bug was reported against jaunty and we are wondering if some one faces this bug under ubuntu karmic koala. Thanks

[Giovanni Bajo (giovannibajo)]

Yes, I have HP2133 with UNR Karmic Koala (fresh install) and netbook-launcher is unbearably slow.

[Giovanni Bajo (giovannibajo)]

I've just pinged the openchrome developers, but nothing has moved in the last 12 months. See also this e-mail:
http://wiki.openchrome.org/pipermail/openchrome-users/2009-February/005327.html

I think the decision to use 3D acceleration for netbook-launcher was ill-devised, given that a large number of netbooks running a large family of VIA chipsets do not have 3D acceleration, and probably won't have it for another few years. It is embarassing to suggest UNR to a friend and then see him struggle with 5 seconds delays to highlight an element in netbook-launcher.

I suggest you revisit your decision and rewrite netbook-launcher without 3D acceleration (or at least provide a fallback when there is no DRI).

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

@Giovanni Bajo for lucid we have a fallback phenomenon for those systems that dont have 3D acceleration. We have a 2D netbook launcher for those systems where 3D acceleration fails. Can you please try Lucid and see if that solves the problem

[Giovanni Bajo (giovannibajo)]

That's really great news? Is just a patch to netbook-launcher or something that involves multiple packets? What if I install the new packet from lucid repos? Should it be sufficient?

[Giovanni Bajo (giovannibajo)]

Sorry, that was meant to be "great news!" of course :)

[Didier Roche-Tolomelli (didrocks)]

There are some packages grabbed as a netbook-launcher recommends for the fallback to the 2D launcher.
User can also now runs directly in lucid the 2D launcher, choosing the session in GDM.

Please tell me if the 2D fallback works on this case. Putting the bug report as Incomplete in the meanwhile.

[Giovanni Bajo (giovannibajo)]

Didier, is there *any* way I can test it on Karmic?

[Didier Roche-Tolomelli (didrocks)]

Sorry Giovanni, it would be too dangerous (backporting more than 20 packages) to handle the new session and fallback solution.

You can still take latest daily iso, put it on a usb key and try to boot on it on the live system to get a first idea.

[Wernight (werner-beroux)]

Still having issues with Ubuntu 13.04. Not sure if it's related to http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?topic=95346.0 or if there is actually a fix now.

[Wernight (werner-beroux)]

Sorry just saw on http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Openchrome/SupportedHardware/ that Chrome9 3D acceleration is not implemented. Sad.