optimize radeon driver for composite...

[earendil]

Hello all,

I'm running a kubuntu dapper and would like to optimize graphical acceleration with xorg composite extension, and ati radeon radeon drivers (Radeon 9200SE - 128Mo). By now it works well, but when I let it for example a whole day, with transluancy (just on window decoration) and shadows it becomes very slow, and I must restart X. Is there some option I could enable in Device section to optimize this ?
This is the device section for the graphic card driver in my xorg.conf :

"Section "Device"
Identifier "ATI Technologies, Inc. Radeon 9200 SE (RV280)"
Driver "radeon"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
# Option "backingstore" "true"
Option "AGPMode" "4"
Option "AGPSize" "64" # default: 8
Option "RingSize" "8"
Option "BufferSize" "2"
Option "EnablePageFlip" "true"
Option "EnableDepthMoves" "true"
Option "RenderAccel" "true"
EndSection
"

[askrieger]

Re: optimize radeon driver for composite...

That sounds like a memory leak. Use the konsole command "top" to see what's taking up the memory and/or the CPU.

Are you using the proprietary dirvers? I know so little about ATI cards, I don't know whether "radeon" is the free or proprietary driver. If this were an nvidia card, I'd say turn off "RenederAccel". Try it and see, if you have a spare day to wait for the machine to become sluggish.

[earendil]

Re: optimize radeon driver for composite...

This the result of top command :

top - 07:17:03 up 6 min, 1 user, load average: 1.45, 0.87, 0.40
Tasks: 116 total,  2 running, 113 sleeping,  0 stopped,  1 zombie
Cpu(s): 46.0% us, 17.2% sy, 0.3% ni, 0.0% id, 36.2% wa, 0.3% hi, 0.0% si
Mem:  515984k total,  507496k used,   8488k free,  21744k buffers
Swap:  979956k total,    0k used,  979956k free,  219844k cached

 PID USER   PR NI VIRT RES SHR S %CPU %MEM  TIME+ COMMAND
 4881 root   16  0 228m 30m 4176 S 43.7 6.0  0:24.86 Xorg
 5255 earendil 15  0 58952 32m 11m S 12.2 6.5  0:16.46 beagled
 5310 earendil 15  0 120m 44m 23m S 3.0 8.8  0:13.70 firefox-bin
 5355 earendil 15  0 32176 15m 12m S 2.4 3.1  0:01.37 konsole
 5561 root   26 10 1792 736 504 R 0.6 0.1  0:00.08 updatedb
 5240 earendil -51  0 12384 7188 5148 S 0.3 1.4  0:00.71 artsd
 5247 earendil 16  0 28644 13m 10m S 0.3 2.6  0:03.19 kwin
 5248 earendil 15  0 3188 1532 880 S 0.3 0.3  0:00.67 kompmgr
  1 root   16  0 1564 532 460 S 0.0 0.1  0:00.92 init
  2 root   34 19   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.00 ksoftirqd/0
  3 root   RT  0   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.00 watchdog/0
  4 root   10 -5   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.00 events/0
  5 root   11 -5   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.00 khelper
  6 root   10 -5   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.00 kthread
  8 root   10 -5   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.08 kblockd/0
  9 root   20 -5   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.00 kacpid
 117 root   15  0   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.00 pdflush
 118 root   15  0   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.01 pdflush
 120 root   19 -5   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.00 aio/0
 119 root   15  0   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.03 kswapd0
 707 root   10 -5   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.01 kseriod
 1806 root   10 -5   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.00 khubd
 1905 root   15  0   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.03 kjournald
 2128 root   18 -4 2420 908 368 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.34 udevd
 2931 root   10 -5   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.02 kgameportd
 2938 root   20  0   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.00 shpchpd_event
 3550 root   15  0   0  0  0 S 0.0 0.0  0:00.02 kjournald
 3953 root   16  0 2156 1188 644 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.00 acpid
 4044 syslog  16  0 1764 672 548 S 0.0 0.1  0:00.01 syslogd
 4070 root   16  0 1680 496 412 S 0.0 0.1  0:00.02 dd
 4072 klog   16  0 2412 1336 388 S 0.0 0.3  0:00.05 klogd
 4091 messageb 17  0 2192 848 672 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.04 dbus-daemon
 4106 haldaemo 16  0 6948 5540 1556 S 0.0 1.1  0:01.25 hald
 4107 root   17  0 2716 976 832 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.03 hald-runner
 4112 haldaemo 16  0 2004 792 696 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.00 hald-addon-acpi
 4162 haldaemo 15  0 2004 792 692 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.00 hald-addon-keyb
 4178 haldaemo 16  0 2004 816 716 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.02 hald-addon-stor
 4179 haldaemo 17  0 2008 816 716 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.01 hald-addon-stor
 4181 haldaemo 16  0 2004 816 716 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.01 hald-addon-stor
 4182 haldaemo 16  0 2008 860 760 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.02 hald-addon-stor
 4195 root   15  0 1928 812 684 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.00 dhcdbd
 4212 root   16  0 20320 2024 1680 S 0.0 0.4  0:00.01 NetworkManager
 4225 root   16  0 2920 1280 1052 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.00 NetworkManagerD
 4280 hplip   15  0 12860 920 696 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.00 hpiod
 4283 hplip   15  0 9360 4668 1104 S 0.0 0.9  0:00.00 python
 4322 dhcp   16  0 2332 1124 828 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.00 dhclient
 4341 icecast2 15  0 8952 1596 1204 S 0.0 0.3  0:00.00 icecast2
 4555 root   16  0 2624 916 780 S 0.0 0.2  0:00.00 lisa
 4579 root   25  0 2628 1300 1064 S 0.0 0.3  0:00.00 mysqld_safe
 4619 mysql   16  0 123m 16m 3884 S 0.0 3.3  0:00.13 mysqld
 4620 root   25  0 1552 504 432 S 0.0 0.1  0:00.00 logger
 4765 root   16  0 4652 1588 1296 S 0.0 0.3  0:00.00 master

But I don't know how to read it...I see I don't use swap is it normal

[askrieger]

Re: optimize radeon driver for composite...

You don't need to use to your swap space because you're not using all of your memory, the system still has 22MB for buffer space, but Xorg seems to be using 44% of your CPU time. Which CPU chip do you have?

As a comparison, on my system (AMD64 3800+) xorg is using about 2% of the cpu time. It's using about the same amount on my Debian box with a 2.7GHz P4. So, unless your cpu is very slow, I suspect that your video card is not set up to use all those special effects. If you're not using the proprietary ATI drivers, I strongly suggest that you install the linux-restricted-modules package for your kernel, and the fglrx packages

[earendil]

Re: optimize radeon driver for composite...

My CPU is an AMD Sempron 2600+.
I'm using radeon free driver for ati cards.
It seems restricted modules is already installed, and when I use fglrx driver, with composite, xorg has a ver very odd behaviour....if you want I can do a screenshot to show that....

[EDIT] When I try load fglrx module by modprobe I get this error :

earendil@spinux:~$ sudo modprobe fglrx
Password:
FATAL: Error inserting fglrx (/lib/modules/2.6.15-20-386/volatile/fglrx.ko): Operation not permitted

[askrieger]

Re: optimize radeon driver for composite...

I am going to move your post to the Dapper:hardware support forum in the hope that someone will have seen your problem before.

[earendil]

Re: optimize radeon driver for composite...

Something seems to be wrong with direct rendering. I decided to let composite for a time, but made some tests with glxgears and gxinfo :

earendil@spinux:~$ glxinfo | grep dri
Xlib: extension "XFree86-DRI" missing on display ":0.0".

I verified in xorg.conf, and I have Load "dri" ... so I don't understand...

[earendil]

Re: optimize radeon driver for composite...

To illustrate I had the result of glxgears :

earendil@spinux:~$ glxgears -printfps
Xlib:  extension "XFree86-DRI" missing on display ":0.0".
749 frames in 5.4 seconds = 138.651 FPS
684 frames in 5.1 seconds = 134.777 FPS
684 frames in 5.1 seconds = 134.904 FPS
684 frames in 5.2 seconds = 131.192 FPS
684 frames in 5.1 seconds = 134.697 FPS
684 frames in 5.5 seconds = 124.494 FPS

... my Intel 915GM with 64Mo memory shared with system does better ... 

[askrieger]

Re: optimize radeon driver for composite...

Unless you've missed something, this is quite puzzling. Try "dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg", just to make sure your xorg.conf file is up to date.

[earendil]

Re: optimize radeon driver for composite...

Hey askieger : your A master...yes yes you are

earendil@spinux:~$ glxgears -printfps
4517 frames in 5.0 seconds = 903.292 FPS
5541 frames in 5.0 seconds = 1108.185 FPS
2859 frames in 5.0 seconds = 571.726 FPS
2034 frames in 5.0 seconds = 406.657 FPS
1987 frames in 6.0 seconds = 333.426 FPS
1897 frames in 5.0 seconds = 379.224 FPS
1961 frames in 5.0 seconds = 392.091 FPS
3359 frames in 5.0 seconds = 671.686 FPS
2155 frames in 5.5 seconds = 395.284 FPS
1938 frames in 5.0 seconds = 386.299 FPS
1732 frames in 5.2 seconds = 330.098 FPS
2024 frames in 5.0 seconds = 404.700 FPS
1648 frames in 5.1 seconds = 326.122 FPS

than you !

[earendil]

Re: optimize radeon driver for composite...

BUT...I've another problem now 

I cannont activate the composite extension...if i do this the screen is...blurred; and I don't know why (it's the same thing with radeon and fglrx drivers...)

[EDIT] Well finally, it's only with fglrx that the screen is blurred (I forgot to comment the "Driver "fglrx" line in the xorg.conf...

[earendil]

Re: optimize radeon driver for composite...

...just for info : this is what i get with fglxrx driver, and composite enabled

[img width=400 height=320]http://arandil.free.fr/fglrx.jpg[/img]

...and this is what I get with a : LIBGL_DEBUG=verbose glxinfo | grep libglx

earendil@spinux:~$ LIBGL_DEBUG=verbose glxinfo | grep libglx
libGL: XF86DRIGetClientDriverName: 8.23.7 atiogl_a (screen 0)
libGL: OpenDriver: trying /usr/lib/dri/atiogl_a_dri.so
fglrx: libGL version does not match - OpenGL module is using glapi fallback
libGL: XF86DRIGetClientDriverName: 8.23.7 atiogl_a (screen 0)
drmOpenByBusid: busid is PCI:1:0:0
drmOpenDevice: minor is 0
drmOpenDevice: node name is /dev/dri/card0
drmOpenDevice: open result is 4, (OK)
drmOpenByBusid: drmOpenMinor returns 4
drmOpenByBusid: drmGetBusid reports PCI:1:0:0

[weigi]

Re: optimize radeon driver for composite...

i have no idea about that driver-stuff. but would it be possible that it has something to do with the fact, that ati offers its drivers only for version 6.9 of xorg and dapper uses 7.0??

i forgot to mention that i have partially the same problem.
does one of your fans also speed-up a lot when using fglrx.
in my setup even with fglrx there is no opengl...

i posted this in another topic

cheers.

[earendil]

Re: optimize radeon driver for composite...

i have no idea about that driver-stuff. but would it be possible that it has something to do with the fact, that ati offers its drivers only for version 6.9 of xorg and dapper uses 7.0??

i forgot to mention that i have partially the same problem.
does one of your fans also speed-up a lot when using fglrx.
in my setup even with fglrx there is no opengl...

i posted this in another topic

cheers.

I have no fans since I'm using a radeon 9200se