oS11.3/KDE4: X slows down after a few hours

Tantalus · 07-22-10, 09:48 AM

Hello,

I recently updated my openSUSE 11.2 System to 11.3 and installed the NVIDIA driver (195.36.31) by using the official repositories. I've also replaced my graphic card (8800 GTS 640MB -> GTX 260 896 MB) a few days before, because my CPU wasn't able to play a specific 1080p h264 video correctly. (8800 GTS 640MB doesn't support VDPAU)

Now, I'm encountering serious performance problems, after a few hours. X gets slower and slower, and opening e.g. nvidia-settings freezes the entire X-Screen for several seconds. (in this time, the mouse position updates once every second)

Switching VT or logout and login increases the performance slightly, at least for a moment. But the freezing of the entire X-Screen, when I'm opening nvidia-settings, still exists.
Switching to Runlevel 3, rmmod nvidia, and switching back to Runlevel 5 "solves" the problem. But this is not really a solution ... (EDIT: I tried this again, and this time even that didn't work)

I've never encountered such a problem on my old setup (openSUSE 11.2/8800 GTS 640MB). I'm running two screens (1920x1080, 1440x900) by using TwinView and use several programs like Eclipse, Opera, OOffice, smplayer/VPDAU. Oh, and I'm using KDE 4.4.4.

Is this some kind of side effect of using VDPAU? Driver 195.36.31 or the 260 GTX?

CynicalPride · 07-22-10, 10:43 AM

Tantalus,

I am encountering the same exact problem. However, it extends to poor performance in 3d applications as well. While playing a game through WINE, the FPS constantly loops from 80 FPS to 10-15 FPS. It's a good thing I noticed this post, I was beginning to believe it was something I was doing wrong.

I was also using openSUSE 11.3 x86_64 and KDE 4.4.4 with NVIDIA 256.35 on a NVIDIA gtx260. I run 2 monitors as well, both 1920x1080, with TwinView.

I have recently downgraded to openSUSE 11.2, which has solved the problem for the time being.

I'm not sure how to tell if this is a graphics driver problem, or a distribution specific problem. If anyone has any insight on testing that can be done, I'd be willing to test this.

Sincerely
Mark Brown

Licaon · 07-24-10, 03:48 PM

the latest driver is 256.35

Tantalus · 07-26-10, 07:04 AM

The problem is getting more and more worse. Even a reboot does not fix the issue. And I'm using fluxbox instead of KDE now. (but I'm still using KDM)

I tried the 256.35 with the same results. Even if there is a memory leak in KDE, why does the Card does not clean up everything, after a reboot?

Sean_W · 07-26-10, 07:10 AM

Try a different window manager instead. I'm pretty sure kwin is party to blame for this issue.

brucecadieux · 07-26-10, 08:08 AM

I am running the latest driver and kde 4.4 and kde 4.5 on a few computers and haven't seen such slow downs, in fact everything is working extremely well.

Tantalus · 07-26-10, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean_W

Try a different window manager instead. I'm pretty sure kwin is party to blame for this issue.

I'm currently installing the complete Gnome DE. Let's see, whether or not a different DE works.

Quote:

Originally Posted by brucecadieux

I am running the latest driver and kde 4.4 and kde 4.5 on a few computers and haven't seen such slow downs, in fact everything is working extremely well.

Do you use openSUSE 11.3 and/or multiple displays? As CynicalPride, I encountered this problems on oS 11.3 for the first time (on 11.2 I used a more or less up-to-date KDE [no SVN snapshots, but 4.0-4.4.x] and never had any problems like this). Maybe it's some kind of Xorg incompatibility, or something like that?

brucecadieux · 07-26-10, 10:13 AM

Yes I am running opensuse 11.3, on three different machines, two desktops and one laptop, all work perfectly for me. That's not saying others are not experiencing problems, just to say that not everyone is.

I do not experience any slow downs with kde 4.4 or kde 4.5 rc2

Sean_W · 07-26-10, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brucecadieux

Yes I am running opensuse 11.3, on three different machines, two desktops and one laptop, all work perfectly for me. That's not saying others are not experiencing problems, just to say that not everyone is.

I do not experience any slow downs with kde 4.4 or kde 4.5 rc2

That's because everyone doesn't hit the same bug. I used to get the same issue(bad, sluggish slowdown that happened only a short time of use), even when I tried 4.5RC. I use GNOME in openSUSE 11.3 though with no such issues.

brucecadieux · 07-26-10, 11:16 AM

No ugly foot stuff for me, ever

Licaon · 07-26-10, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tantalus

The problem is getting more and more worse. Even a reboot does not fix the issue. And I'm using fluxbox instead of KDE now. (but I'm still using KDM)

I tried the 256.35 with the same results. Even if there is a memory leak in KDE, why does the Card does not clean up everything, after a reboot?

can you read http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=46678 and generate a good report with the debug info as instructed after the issue appears ?

Alejandro Nova · 07-26-10, 06:08 PM

Some hints about this.

1. Try to "Enable Direct Rendering" in KWin. You can do that easily right-clicking on any window titlebar and selecting Window Behaviour Setup | Desktop Effects | Advanced. If you haven't checked "Direct Rendering", check it.

2. How is it doing with InitialPixmapPlacement? Try 0 or 4.

For me, this is a memory leak, and it behaves a lot better with Direct Rendering than with Indirect Rendering. KDE 4.5 RC3 here.

07-22-10, 09:48 AM	#1
Tantalus Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 6	oS11.3/KDE4: X slows down after a few hours Hello, I recently updated my openSUSE 11.2 System to 11.3 and installed the NVIDIA driver (195.36.31) by using the official repositories. I've also replaced my graphic card (8800 GTS 640MB -> GTX 260 896 MB) a few days before, because my CPU wasn't able to play a specific 1080p h264 video correctly. (8800 GTS 640MB doesn't support VDPAU) Now, I'm encountering serious performance problems, after a few hours. X gets slower and slower, and opening e.g. nvidia-settings freezes the entire X-Screen for several seconds. (in this time, the mouse position updates once every second) Switching VT or logout and login increases the performance slightly, at least for a moment. But the freezing of the entire X-Screen, when I'm opening nvidia-settings, still exists. Switching to Runlevel 3, rmmod nvidia, and switching back to Runlevel 5 "solves" the problem. But this is not really a solution ... (EDIT: I tried this again, and this time even that didn't work) I've never encountered such a problem on my old setup (openSUSE 11.2/8800 GTS 640MB). I'm running two screens (1920x1080, 1440x900) by using TwinView and use several programs like Eclipse, Opera, OOffice, smplayer/VPDAU. Oh, and I'm using KDE 4.4.4. Is this some kind of side effect of using VDPAU? Driver 195.36.31 or the 260 GTX?

07-22-10, 10:43 AM	#2
CynicalPride Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 4	Re: oS11.3/KDE4: X slows down after a few hours Tantalus, I am encountering the same exact problem. However, it extends to poor performance in 3d applications as well. While playing a game through WINE, the FPS constantly loops from 80 FPS to 10-15 FPS. It's a good thing I noticed this post, I was beginning to believe it was something I was doing wrong. I was also using openSUSE 11.3 x86_64 and KDE 4.4.4 with NVIDIA 256.35 on a NVIDIA gtx260. I run 2 monitors as well, both 1920x1080, with TwinView. I have recently downgraded to openSUSE 11.2, which has solved the problem for the time being. I'm not sure how to tell if this is a graphics driver problem, or a distribution specific problem. If anyone has any insight on testing that can be done, I'd be willing to test this. Sincerely Mark Brown

07-24-10, 03:48 PM	#3
Licaon Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Between the keyboard and the chair. Posts: 490	Re: oS11.3/KDE4: X slows down after a few hours the latest driver is 256.35

07-26-10, 07:04 AM	#4
Tantalus Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 6	Re: oS11.3/KDE4: X slows down after a few hours The problem is getting more and more worse. Even a reboot does not fix the issue. And I'm using fluxbox instead of KDE now. (but I'm still using KDM) I tried the 256.35 with the same results. Even if there is a memory leak in KDE, why does the Card does not clean up everything, after a reboot?

07-26-10, 07:10 AM	#5
Sean_W Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,438	Re: oS11.3/KDE4: X slows down after a few hours Try a different window manager instead. I'm pretty sure kwin is party to blame for this issue.

07-26-10, 08:08 AM	#6
brucecadieux Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 78	Re: oS11.3/KDE4: X slows down after a few hours I am running the latest driver and kde 4.4 and kde 4.5 on a few computers and haven't seen such slow downs, in fact everything is working extremely well.

07-26-10, 10:13 AM	#8
brucecadieux Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 78	Re: oS11.3/KDE4: X slows down after a few hours Yes I am running opensuse 11.3, on three different machines, two desktops and one laptop, all work perfectly for me. That's not saying others are not experiencing problems, just to say that not everyone is. I do not experience any slow downs with kde 4.4 or kde 4.5 rc2

07-26-10, 11:16 AM	#10
brucecadieux Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 78	Re: oS11.3/KDE4: X slows down after a few hours No ugly foot stuff for me, ever

07-26-10, 06:08 PM	#12
Alejandro Nova Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 26	Re: oS11.3/KDE4: X slows down after a few hours Some hints about this. 1. Try to "Enable Direct Rendering" in KWin. You can do that easily right-clicking on any window titlebar and selecting Window Behaviour Setup \| Desktop Effects \| Advanced. If you haven't checked "Direct Rendering", check it. 2. How is it doing with InitialPixmapPlacement? Try 0 or 4. For me, this is a memory leak, and it behaves a lot better with Direct Rendering than with Indirect Rendering. KDE 4.5 RC3 here.