Unity in 12.10 becomes unusably slow after using Alt-Tab to switch between programs (nvidia)

Bug #1067547 reported by Kristijan Puljek
326
This bug affects 15 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
Unity
Fix Released
Undecided
Unassigned
unity (Ubuntu)
Fix Released
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

Not sure what else to say. On my laptop with a clean 12.10 installation everything works great. On my desktop with an Nvidia gts250 card (all available drivers in the repo) unity works fine, but after I use alt-tab to switch between applications, compiz memory usage rises (20, 50, 100mb, depends on... well, something?) and dash, all effects and even window dragging becomes unbearably slow.

After I do a "unity --replace", everything is fine until I use alt-tab again. I can reproduce this as many times as I want.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: unity 6.8.0-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-17.28-generic 3.5.5
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-17-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86 Kernel Module 304.51 Tue Sep 18 17:36:24 PDT 2012
 GCC version: gcc version 4.7.2 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.7.2-2ubuntu1)
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: i386
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Wed Oct 17 01:12:10 2012
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: quantal
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus: nvidia-current-updates, 304.51, 3.5.0-17-generic, i686: installed
GraphicsCard:
 NVIDIA Corporation G92 [GeForce GTS 250] [10de:0615] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Device [1458:34c7]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Beta i386 (20120926)
MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-17-generic root=UUID=cad55f8d-5c9a-45ee-9ed1-a26e67b985ae ro quiet splash
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 09/15/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 0604
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: M4A79XTD EVO
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev X.0X
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr0604:bd09/15/2009:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnM4A79XTDEVO:rvrRevX.0X:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.8.4-0ubuntu2
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.39-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 9.0-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 9.0-0ubuntu1
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.13.0-0ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.3-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.99.99~git20120913.8637f772-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.20.9-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.2-0ubuntu3

Revision history for this message
Kristijan Puljek (sampleofsoul) wrote :
Changed in unity:
milestone: none → 7.0.0
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

Changed in unity (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt) wrote :

Nvidia claim to have made some performance fixes specifically for Unity users, which might be worth a try...
http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux-display-amd64-310.14-driver.html
http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux-display-ia32-310.14-driver.html

Revision history for this message
Sergey Ukustov (ukstv) wrote :

I've updated compiz package this morning, and everythink is ok now. Try to update compiz to the latest available in repo version.

Endri (endri-hysenaj)
Changed in unity:
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Martin Hansen (martin-h) wrote :

This also affects me on a samsung series 9 laptop with intel graphics. I can supply error information if someone tells me how to generate it. Alt-tab breaks it, unity --replace fixes it.

Revision history for this message
MC Return (mc-return) wrote :

I experienced this bug on ATI/gallium for a short time in trunk also, but it is fixed already.

Revision history for this message
Karel S (karelke) wrote :

Same problem here with an ATI graphics chip.

Revision history for this message
Kalpit Shah (shahkalpit84) wrote :

My laptop has an integrated Intel HD 3000 card. I have uninstalled the nvidia and nouveau drivers for reasons. With a single monitor, I dont see a CPU spike when using Alt-Tab. With 2 monitors, Alt-Tab causes a CPU spike to 50% on all my 4 cores. I can reproduce this at will and can see the spike clearly using htop for each of the 4 cores. CPU continues to stay at 50% on all the cores if I dont release Alt-Tab. As soon as I release it, the CPU drops back to 3% on all the cores. Is compiz the culprit ?

Revision history for this message
Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt) wrote :

shahkalpit84:

This bug is about poor performance _after_ using Alt-Tab. It sounds like you have a different issue that should be discussed in a separate bug.

information type: Public → Public Security
Pander (pander)
tags: added: raring
removed: i386
Revision history for this message
Toon V (toon-vanr) wrote :

My unity becomes extremely slow after pressing ALT for the new program menu HUD. I rather think that's the problem, and not ALT-TAB. This problem has been ocurring for months now, so i reinstalled 12.10 via wubi an hour ago and encountered the same problems. Installing Gnome 3 gave even more bugs, so I'll try to keep Unity without using the program menu HUD.

I don't seem to get CPU spikes, although my desktop doesn't update the screen while loading the starter menu.
Changing workspace or program is as fast as ever. (CTRL+ALT+RIGHTARROW or ALT+TAB)

ATI HD5870 -> DVI -> 1920x1200
intel i7 860, 8 threads

Stephen M. Webb (bregma)
Changed in unity:
milestone: 7.0.0 → 7.0.1
Changed in unity:
milestone: 7.0.1 → 7.3.1
Revision history for this message
Andrea Azzarone (azzar1) wrote :

Ubuntu 12.10 is no longer supported? Can you reproduce it on 12.04 or 14.04 or 14.10?

Changed in unity:
status: Confirmed → Incomplete
Changed in unity (Ubuntu):
status: Confirmed → Incomplete
Stephen M. Webb (bregma)
Changed in unity:
milestone: 7.3.1 → 7.3.2
Stephen M. Webb (bregma)
Changed in unity:
milestone: 7.3.2 → 7.3.3
Revision history for this message
Christopher Townsend (townsend) wrote :

Since no one responded to Andrea's inquiry on 2015-01-17 and Ubuntu 12.10 is out of support, I'm going to surmise this was fixed somewhere along the way.

If it still does occur, we can either reopen this bug or open a new one.

Changed in unity:
status: Incomplete → Fix Released
Changed in unity (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Fix Released
Changed in unity:
milestone: 7.3.3 → none
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