Stuttering mouse movement after any shell window opens, on AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 with Radeon HD 3450

[Peter Buerger]

mouse stutters when moving. This started after update from Ubuntu 16 to 18. Mouse is fine on initial boot, but after any shell window opens, the mouse then stutters in its movement. clicks work fine. almost looks like mouse is not getting its irq interrupts.
Description: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
Release: 18.04

also getting this error:
~$ apport-bug gtk

(apport-gtk:18122): Gtk-WARNING **: 11:21:15.632: Theme parsing error: gtk-main.css:73:38: Failed to import: Error opening file /usr/share/themes/Radiance/gtk-3.20/apps/gnome-builder.css: No such file or directory
dpkg-query: no packages found matching gtk
Gtk-Message: 11:21:20.142: GtkDialog mapped without a transient parent. This is discouraged.
peter@peter-GeForce6100PM-M2:~$ apport-bug light-themes

(apport-gtk:19203): Gtk-WARNING **: 11:29:01.986: Theme parsing error: gtk-main.css:73:38: Failed to import: Error opening file /usr/share/themes/Radiance/gtk-3.20/apps/gnome-builder.css: No such file or directory
peter@peter-GeForce6100PM-M2:~$
(firefox:19566): Gtk-WARNING **: 11:30:11.449: Theme parsing error: gtk-main.css:73:38: Failed to import: Error opening file /usr/share/themes/Radiance/gtk-3.20/apps/gnome-builder.css: No such file or directory

light-themes:
  Installed: 16.10+18.04.20180421.1-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 16.10+18.04.20180421.1-0ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 16.10+18.04.20180421.1-0ubuntu1 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: light-themes 16.10+18.04.20180421.1-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-20.21-lowlatency 4.15.17
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-20-lowlatency x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sun May 20 11:29:02 2018
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-10-24 (938 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 15.10 "Wily Werewolf" - Release amd64 (20151021)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: ubuntu-themes
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2018-05-06 (14 days ago)
---
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.1
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
DisplayManager: gdm3
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
GsettingsChanges:
 b'org.gnome.shell' b'app-picker-view' b'uint32 1'
 b'org.gnome.shell' b'favorite-apps' redacted by apport
 b'org.gnome.desktop.interface' b'gtk-im-module' b"'gtk-im-context-simple'"
 b'org.gnome.desktop.interface' b'icon-theme' b"'oxygen'"
 b'org.gnome.desktop.interface' b'gtk-theme' b"'Radiance'"
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-10-24 (952 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 15.10 "Wily Werewolf" - Release amd64 (20151021)
Package: gnome-shell 3.28.1-0ubuntu2
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-22.24-lowlatency 4.15.17
Tags: bionic
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-22-lowlatency x86_64
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2018-05-06 (27 days ago)
UserGroups: adm audio cdrom dialout dip fax floppy lpadmin netdev plugdev sambashare sudo tape vboxusers video
_MarkForUpload: True

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

We're working on a few fixes in this area:
https://trello.com/c/Q6JYXPPs

In the meantime I suggest trying the normal Ubuntu kernel, not "lowlatency". In the past when I was investigating performance I found the unexpected problem of the "lowlatency" kernel actually being higher latency for graphics/input. Weird, I know.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Please also:

1. Run 'lspci -k' and attach the output here.

2. Run 'apport-collect 1772271' on the machine.

[Peter Buerger (pmbuerger)]

When i use "advanced start up options" and use a previous non low latency load, everything stays normal.
low latency version jumps

[Peter Buerger (pmbuerger)]

peter@peter-GeForce6100PM-M2:~$ lspci -k
00:00.0 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 Memory Controller (rev a1)
 Subsystem: Elitegroup Computer Systems MCP61 Memory Controller
00:01.0 ISA bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 LPC Bridge (rev a2)
 Subsystem: Elitegroup Computer Systems MCP61 LPC Bridge
00:01.1 SMBus: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 SMBus (rev a2)
 Subsystem: Elitegroup Computer Systems MCP61 SMBus
 Kernel driver in use: nForce2_smbus
 Kernel modules: i2c_nforce2
00:01.2 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 Memory Controller (rev a2)
 Subsystem: Elitegroup Computer Systems MCP61 Memory Controller
00:02.0 USB controller: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 USB 1.1 Controller (rev a3)
 Subsystem: Elitegroup Computer Systems MCP61 USB 1.1 Controller
 Kernel driver in use: ohci-pci
00:02.1 USB controller: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 USB 2.0 Controller (rev a3)
 Subsystem: Elitegroup Computer Systems MCP61 USB 2.0 Controller
 Kernel driver in use: ehci-pci
00:04.0 PCI bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 PCI bridge (rev a1)
00:05.0 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 High Definition Audio (rev a2)
 Subsystem: Elitegroup Computer Systems MCP61 High Definition Audio
 Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
 Kernel modules: snd_hda_intel
00:06.0 IDE interface: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 IDE (rev a2)
 Subsystem: Elitegroup Computer Systems MCP61 IDE
 Kernel driver in use: pata_amd
 Kernel modules: pata_amd, pata_acpi
00:07.0 Bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 Ethernet (rev a2)
 Subsystem: Elitegroup Computer Systems MCP61 Ethernet
 Kernel driver in use: forcedeth
 Kernel modules: forcedeth
00:08.0 IDE interface: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 SATA Controller (rev a2)
 Subsystem: Elitegroup Computer Systems MCP61 SATA Controller
 Kernel driver in use: sata_nv
 Kernel modules: sata_nv, pata_acpi
00:08.1 IDE interface: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 SATA Controller (rev a2)
 Subsystem: Elitegroup Computer Systems MCP61 SATA Controller
 Kernel driver in use: sata_nv
 Kernel modules: sata_nv, pata_acpi
00:09.0 PCI bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 PCI Express bridge (rev a2)
 Kernel driver in use: pcieport
 Kernel modules: shpchp
00:0b.0 PCI bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 PCI Express bridge (rev a2)
 Kernel driver in use: pcieport
 Kernel modules: shpchp
00:0c.0 PCI bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP61 PCI Express bridge (rev a2)
 Kernel driver in use: pcieport
 Kernel modules: shpchp
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control
 Kernel driver in use: k8temp
 Kernel modules: k8temp
01:06.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6306/7/8 [Fire II(M)] IEEE 1394 OHCI Controller (rev 43)
 Subsystem: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6306/7/8 [Fire II(M)] IEEE 1394 OHCI Controller
 Kernel driver in use: firewire_ohci
 Kernel modules: firewire_ohci
02:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RV620 LE [Radeon HD 3450]...

[Peter Buerger (pmbuerger)]

apport information

[Peter Buerger (pmbuerger)]

apport information

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thanks.

Please also try:

 1. Logging into both Wayland and Xorg sessions. Is one better than the other?

 2. Open a terminal window and run 'top'. Do you see any process with high CPU usage during the problem?

[Peter Buerger (pmbuerger)]

I ran a bunch of configs
none of them had a very big load on the processors. gnome shell 15%pk although eyeballing it, the stable mouse conditions look a little less(?)

natural boot: both wayland and xorg have stuttering mouse.

boot adv option: non low latency: both wayland and xorg have stable mouse, except wayland gets 'stuck' when crossing off the background onto the favorites bar (mine is on the bottom). The mouse is stable in both regions, but gets hung up when crossing the border. There is no hang up when crossing desktop icons. xorg looks better than wayland under rapid motion and careful examination.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Yes I would expect Xorg to be slightly better right now. For reasons unknown as yet, moving the mouse in a Wayland session forces the GPU to redraw everything which will slow it down and stutter more. But in Xorg sessions the mouse pointer can move freely without the GPU having to redraw anything.

I'm surprised you see a difference with lowlatency kernels, but if it works for you then great.

So this is a general performance bug. Even though the system is over 10 years old I think it should be performing better, but know that gnome-shell is not yet fast enough for most machines, even new ones.

I will continue working though the lists of performance problems here:
  https://trello.com/c/Q6JYXPPs
  https://trello.com/c/pe5mRmx7
and hopefully in future we will have good enough performance to close this bug.

[Peter Buerger (pmbuerger)]

I see that my motherboard is nvidia. i am running off the radeon card. should i experiment going back to the motherboard video and see if the mouse problem is video related? the MB will be even older

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

No, it's not a hardware problem. It's a software problem (see the links in comment #10).

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu.

Ubuntu 18.04 (bionic) reached end-of-standard-support on May 31, 2023.

See this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

We appreciate that this bug may be old and you might not be interested in discussing it anymore. But if you are then please upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version and re-test. If you then find the bug is still present in the newer Ubuntu version, please add a comment here telling us which new version it is in.