KDE is slow

[umpirsky]

I have VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV610 video device [Radeon HD 2400 PRO] graphic card, and have installed additional drivers on latest Kubuntu, but it still runs very slow, slow switching between windows, and as time passes it becoming slower and sloevr.

report-hw:

/proc/cpuinfo: vendor_id : AuthenticAMD
/proc/cpuinfo: cpu family : 15
/proc/cpuinfo: model : 107
/proc/cpuinfo: model name : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+
/proc/cpuinfo: cache size : 512 KB
RAM: 2GB

Top process is

1141 root 20 0 393m 157m 125m S 6 15.8 3:26.08 Xorg

but that is no problem.

Any idea?

[Snowhog]

Re: KDE is slow

Version of Kubuntu and KDE you are running?

[umpirsky]

Re: KDE is slow

Both are latest.


cat /etc/issue
Ubuntu 11.04

KDE 4.6

[Snowhog]

Re: KDE is slow

Do you know if you are using the non-free video driver, or the proprietary one? Have you checked System > Additional Drivers to see if the proprietary driver is listed for use?

[umpirsky]

Re: KDE is slow

Thanks for the effort!

[umpirsky]

Re: KDE is slow

And it looks like computer constantly reading the hard disk, like RAM is full, but it is not. Strange.

[GreyGeek]

Re: KDE is slow

When I get slowdowns I want to know what is hitting the IRQ, so I run
sudo powertop
and see what taking most of the Interrupts.

[umpirsky]

Re: KDE is slow

powertop

< Detailed C-state information is not P-states (frequencies)
2.31 Ghz 0.0%
2.21 Ghz 0.0%
2.00 Ghz 0.0%
1.80 Ghz 0.0%
1000 Mhz 100.0%

Wakeups-from-idle per second : 1075.8 interval: 10.0s
no ACPI power usage estimate available

Top causes for wakeups:
45.1% (1000.4) [kernel module] hrtimer_start (cx88_ir_work)
25.4% (562.5)D chrome
15.5% (344.1) [Rescheduling interrupts] <kernel IPI>
3.0% ( 65.5) USB device 2-2 : USB-PS/2 Optical Mouse (Logitech)
2.7% ( 61.0) [ohci_hcd:usb2] <interrupt>
1.2% ( 26.0) java
0.5% ( 11.9)D postgres
0.9% ( 20.0) knotify4
0.9% ( 19.2) [kernel scheduler] Load balancing tick
0.7% ( 16.5) kworker/0:0
0.6% ( 14.3) [ehci_hcd:usb1] <interrupt>
0.6% ( 13.0) USB device 1-9 : ZTE WCDMA Technologies MSM (ZTE,Incorporated)
0.5% ( 11.7) firefox-bin
0.5% ( 10.7) [kernel core] timer_action (ehci_watchdog)
0.4% ( 8.4) [ahci] <interrupt>
0.0% ( 0.3)D flush-8:16
0.2% ( 4.8) [kernel core] hrtimer_start (tick_sched_timer)
0.2% ( 4.7) [TLB shootdowns] <kernel IPI>
0.2% ( 4.4) mysqld
0.2% ( 3.9) [pata_amd] <interrupt>
0.1% ( 3.3) konsole
0.1% ( 1.9) modem-manager
0.1% ( 1.8) kswapd0
0.0% ( 1.0) apache2
0.0% ( 0.9) cx88
0.0% ( 0.8) rtkit-daemon
0.0% ( 0.6) threaded-ml
0.0% ( 0.5) okular
0.0% ( 0.5) virtuoso-t
0.0% ( 0.5) udisks-daemon
0.0% ( 0.4) kwalletd
0.0% ( 0.3) [Function call interrupts] <kernel IPI>
0.0% ( 0.3) [kernel core] cfq_arm_slice_timer (cfq_idle_slice_timer)
0.0% ( 0.3) Xorg

Suggestion: Enable Device Power Management by pressing the P key

[GreyGeek]

Re: KDE is slow

......

Wakeups-from-idle per second : 1075.8 interval: 10.0s

Wow! With only a konsole open, running powertop, my total wakeups are around 115 -120 p/s.

....
Top causes for wakeups:
45.1% (1000.4) [kernel module] hrtimer_start (cx88_ir_work)
25.4% (562.5)D chrome
15.5% (344.1) [Rescheduling interrupts] <kernel IPI>
...
0.0% ( 0.3) Xorg
...

Xorg isn't doing much, but something is aggravating your hrtimer, causing a lot of IRQ rescheduling.
Chrome doesn't appear to be playing nice, either. It must be doing a lot of background fetching.

Run powertop on an empty desktop, except for the konsole.

[umpirsky]

Re: KDE is slow

On empty desktop:

< Detailed C-state information is not P-states (frequencies)
2.31 Ghz 21.4%
2.21 Ghz 0.0%
2.00 Ghz 0.0%
1.80 Ghz 4.9%
1000 Mhz 73.7%

Wakeups-from-idle per second : 555.1 interval: 5.0s
no ACPI power usage estimate available

Top causes for wakeups:
90.2% (1001.2) [kernel module] hrtimer_start (cx88_ir_work)
1.8% ( 20.0) knotify4
1.2% ( 13.0) [kernel scheduler] Load balancing tick
1.0% ( 11.6) postgres
1.0% ( 11.0) [Rescheduling interrupts] <kernel IPI>
1.0% ( 10.8) [kernel core] timer_action (ehci_watchdog)
0.9% ( 9.6) USB device 1-9 : ZTE WCDMA Technologies MSM (ZTE,Incorporated)
0.8% ( 8.4) [ehci_hcd:usb1] <interrupt>
0.6% ( 6.4) kworker/0:0
0.4% ( 4.4) mysqld
0.3% ( 3.2) [pata_amd] <interrupt>
0.2% ( 2.0) [kernel core] hrtimer_start (tick_sched_timer)
0.1% ( 1.6) [ahci] <interrupt>
0.1% ( 1.0) apache2
0.1% ( 0.8) cx88
0.1% ( 0.6) threaded-ml
0.1% ( 0.6) rtkit-daemon
0.0% ( 0.4) plasma-desktop
0.0% ( 0.4) virtuoso-t
0.0% ( 0.4) udisks-daemon
0.0% ( 0.4) kwalletd
0.0% ( 0.2) konsole
0.0% ( 0.2) Xorg
0.0% ( 0.2) akonadi_control
0.0% ( 0.2) akonadiserver
0.0% ( 0.2) NetworkManager
0.0% ( 0.2) kwin
0.0% ( 0.2) kworker/1:1
0.0% ( 0.2) [kernel core] cfq_arm_slice_timer (cfq_idle_slice_timer)
0.0% ( 0.2) kded4





Suggestion: increase the VM dirty writeback time from 5.00 to 15 seconds with:
echo 1500 > /proc/sys/vm/dirty_writeback_centisecs

[umpirsky]

Re: KDE is slow

Looks like [kernel module] hrtimer_start always taking the rest

[GreyGeek]

Re: KDE is slow

The high resolution timer is rapidly calling cx88, which is related to remote control devices, infrared devices and video4linux devices, among others.

Open a konsole and issue
dmesg | grep cx88
to see if any msgs regarding cx88.
What do you have plugged in? What is the ZTE device?

[umpirsky]

Re: KDE is slow

That can be my TV tuner, it has remote control.


dmesg | grep cx88
[ 15.248507] cx88_audio 0000:01:06.1: PCI INT A -> Link[APC1] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[ 15.250028] cx88[0]: subsystem: 107d:6618, board: Leadtek TV2000 XP Global [card=61,autodetected], frontend(s): 0
[ 15.250030] cx88[0]: TV tuner type 71, Radio tuner type 71
[ 15.355162] cx88/0: cx2388x v4l2 driver version 0.0.8 loaded
[ 15.545826] tuner 2-0061: chip found @ 0xc2 (cx88[0])
[ 15.596753] cx88[0]: Asking xc2028/3028 to load firmware xc3028-v27.fw
[ 15.657154] input: cx88 IR (Leadtek TV2000 XP Glob as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:08.0/0000:01:06.1/rc/rc0/input4
[ 15.657254] rc0: cx88 IR (Leadtek TV2000 XP Glob as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:08.0/0000:01:06.1/rc/rc0
[ 15.657304] cx88[0]/1: CX88x/0: ALSA support for cx2388x boards
[ 15.657627] cx8800 0000:01:06.0: PCI INT A -> Link[APC1] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[ 15.657636] cx88[0]/0: found at 0000:01:06.0, rev: 5, irq: 16, latency: 32, mmio: 0xf4000000
[ 15.657716] cx88[0]/0: registered device video0 [v4l2]
[ 15.657753] cx88[0]/0: registered device vbi0
[ 15.657796] cx88[0]/0: registered device radio0
[ 54.835243] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835253] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835260] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835267] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835274] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835281] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835288] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835294] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835301] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835308] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835315] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835321] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835328] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835335] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835341] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835348] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835355] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835362] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835368] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835375] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835382] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835389] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835395] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835402] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835409] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835415] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835422] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835429] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835436] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835443] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835449] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835456] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835463] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835469] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835476] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835483] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835490] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835496] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835503] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835510] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835516] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835523] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835530] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835537] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835543] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835550] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835557] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835563] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835570] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835577] cx88[0]: irq aud [0x1001] dn_risci1* dn_sync*
[ 54.835581] cx88[0]/1: IRQ loop detected, disabling interrupts

[GreyGeek]

Re: KDE is slow

[ 54.835581] cx88[0]/1: IRQ loop detected, disabling interrupts

Yup, it's your TV tuner or, more specifically, the driver for it. An IRQ infinite loop was detected and "interrupts" were disabled. The hr_timer is wasting its IRQ trying to restart it.

Is your TV tuner working?

[umpirsky]

Re: KDE is slow

No, it is not working.

I have tried with tvtime, but it does not work. It's WinFast 2000, so I guess it is not supported.

It would be nice to disable it temporary just to speed things up.

How can I do that?