netbook-launcher extremely slow

[Vorik]

Binary package hint: netbook-launcher

1) Jaunty alpha 2
2) 1.2-0ubuntu1
3) a workable launcher like in Intrepid
4) it is very slow, when tabs (on the left) are changed, the old icons and text in the middle remain and the new ones are on top of them. (By very slow, I mean that it is totally unworkable)

I'm running it on a MSI Wind U100.

Thanks for netbook-launcher, it is fantastic under Intrepid! I'm sure it will rock on Jaunty too if this issue is solved.

[Neil J. Patel (njpatel)]

Hi,

Can you please try and run the launcher from the terminal like this and see if it makes a difference:

CLUTTER_VBLANK=none netbook-launcher

If that doesn't fix it, are you sure the correct GL drivers are installed? Could you give some information about your graphics card.

[Vorik (launchpad-gerapeldoorn)]

Hi,

Thanks for your fast response! :)

The CLUTTER_VBLANK=none makes it work fine.. What does it do exactly?

Thanks again,
Ger.

[Vorik (launchpad-gerapeldoorn)]

Hmm,

I was a bit too quick for that call it appears; it did work properly until I rebooted. Now I try to reproduce the steps to fix it, but I still get the initial behaviour.

A recap of the steps taken:

- fresh install of Jaunty
- Installed netbook meta package
- put netbook-launcher and maximus in autostart-sessions
- reboot
State: it's incredibly slow and not usable
- Removed it from sessions, reboot
- Enabled bling in Appearance (effects)
- filed bugreport

- started it with CLUTTER_VBLANK=none netbook-launcher
- black background with artefacts when mouse was moved
- disabled bling in Appearance
State: It works fine!

- enabled netbook-launcher and maximus in autostart-sessions
- reboot
State It sucks again! :S

I've tried disabling netbook-launcher and maximus in autostart-sessions, but cannot reproduce the working configuration.

My videocard is an Intel 945GME.

Thanks,
Ger.

[Neil J. Patel (njpatel)]

Glad the vblank trick worked for you.

To answer your questions:

- CLUTTER_VBLANK=none switches off the graphics-chip vsync function for the launcher, which makes it go quicker at the cost of some tearing on animations (not noticeable on the launcher).

- You cannot use desktop effects with UNR on Intel or Ati chipsets. This is because the drivers for those graphics cards cannot handle two open gl windows composed together. Therefore Visual Effects needs to be set to none.

- To make sure you always set CLUTTER_VBLANK=none, edit your netbook-launcher autostart entry and change the "Command" textentry to "CLUTTER_VBLANK=none netbook-launcher" (without the quotes).

I hope that helps!

[Vorik (launchpad-gerapeldoorn)]

Attached is a screenshot of the artefacts I get when changing tabs:

The CLUTTER_VBLANK does not solve it this time..

$ cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor : 0
vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 6
model : 28
model name : Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU N270 @ 1.60GHz
stepping : 2
cpu MHz : 800.000
cache size : 512 KB
physical id : 0
siblings : 2
core id : 0
cpu cores : 1
apicid : 0
initial apicid : 0
fdiv_bug : no
hlt_bug : no
f00f_bug : no
coma_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 10
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe nx constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl est tm2 ssse3 xtpr pdcm lahf_lm
bogomips : 3199.97
clflush size : 64
power management:

processor : 1
vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 6
model : 28
model name : Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU N270 @ 1.60GHz
stepping : 2
cpu MHz : 800.000
cache size : 512 KB
physical id : 0
siblings : 2
core id : 0
cpu cores : 1
apicid : 1
initial apicid : 1
fdiv_bug : no
hlt_bug : no
f00f_bug : no
coma_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 10
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe nx constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl est tm2 ssse3 xtpr pdcm lahf_lm
bogomips : 3200.00
clflush size : 64
power management:

$lspci
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GME Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)

Thanks again,
Ger

[joerg (joerg-xs-4u)]

I've the same problem,but, it's work perfect, when I start it as root!

[Vorik (launchpad-gerapeldoorn)]

Indeed! When started as root (sudo) it works fine even without the CLUTTER_VBLANK prefix!

I probably accidentaly ran it as root on the first test.

Ger,

[Vorik (launchpad-gerapeldoorn)]

Now I can run it as a normal user just fine. (updated my system)

Thanks!

[Neil J. Patel (njpatel)]

(Marking as invalid as I didn't do anything on my end :)

[gdfs gsg dfs (tzetz)]

Same problem ... It worked in Intrepid and Hardy with a intel 945 chipset. In Jaunty netbook-launcher is extremly slow :s

Same problem with CLUTTER_VBLANK=none

[Kristoffer Koch (kristoffer-koch)]

I am seeing slowness on a dual core with 945GM. It does not seem to help with "CLUTTER_VBLANK=none", but it ran smooth under intrepid.

netbook-launcher version 1.6.20-0ubuntu2.

[gdfs gsg dfs (tzetz)]

I have a solution !

It works fine if you modify xorg.conf

You have to add some options in the "Device" section :

Section "Device"
        Identifier "Configured Video Device"
        Option "AccelMethod" "UXA"
        Option "FramebufferCompression" "true"
        Option "Legacy3D" "true"
EndSection

And it works :)

It's a problem with the 945ABG driver

[gdfs gsg dfs (tzetz)]

With the 945GM driver, sorry

[Neil J. Patel (njpatel)]

Can you please try the kernel at #349314, it seems to be a tiling-performance issue in the Intel drivers. The kernel there should fix it (I believe an SRU is in the works).

[Luis Mondesi (lemsx1)]

I hit this same bug on an IBM (Lenovo) X60s laptop. The workaround (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/netbook-launcher/+bug/317026/comments/12) work fine but still not a proper solution as the system still feel sluggish (response time for the animations are horrible).

I also have this problem on an OQO Model 2. Those devices use the openchrome (sp?) drivers. If anybody knows how to apply a work around for those devices I'll be alway grateful.

[Martin Gustafsson (martin-gustafsson)]

I have this problem too after upgrading to 9.10 on my Acer Aspire One 110.
When I switch from the classic mode to the netbook mode I get the following error:

"An error occurred while loading or saving configuration information for netbook-launcher. Some of your configuration settings may not work properly.

Failed to contact configuration server; some possible causes are that you need to enable TCP/IP networking for ORBit, or you have stale NFS locks due to a system crash. See http://projects.gnome.org/gconf/ for information. (Details - 1: Could not send message to GConf daemon: Message did not receive a reply (timeout by message bus))"

The netbook launcher is extremely slow but if I type sudo CLUTTER_VBLANK=none netbook-launcher in a terminal, it makes things much better. I have a netbook-launcher process that eats 30% cpu and the following message is written in the terminal over and over:
"(netbook-launcher:7506): Clutter-CRITICAL **: clutter_timeline_do_tick: assertion `CLUTTER_IS_TIMELINE (timeline)' failed"

How can I add CLUTTER_VBLANK=none as a default option when I start?

[Christian Ide (cide)]

@Martin Gustafsson: I opened a new bug report for the high cpu load and Clutter-CRITICAL error a few days ago: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/netbook-launcher/+bug/425773

[Benoît Courty (benoit-courty)]

I have the same problem after a fresh install of Lucid (10.04) final version on a eeepc 900hd.
If I boot in recovery mode and then launch startx, it work fine.

What can I do to help solving this bug ?

~$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/PM/GMS/910GML Express Processor to DRAM Controller (rev 04)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 04)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 04)

In X log :
(II) intel(0): Integrated Graphics Chipset: Intel(R) 915GM
(--) intel(0): Chipset: "915GM"

[Benoît Courty (benoit-courty)]

A solving issue in Lucid is changing command netbook-launcher to netbook-launcher-efl in autostart configuration.
But after reboot I'm affected by the bug : https://bugs.launchpad.net/go-home-applet/+bug/552104