[SOLVED] Graphics tired in Linux ?
lazarus / 32-Linux

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Fred vS · 2011-07-19 17:52

Hello everybody.

I develop a free DJ mixing app for Linux, Windows and Mac.
(https://sites.google.com/site/fiensprototyping/home)

I use the same code for the 3 OS (with some modif of course).

In Windows and Mac, i have run the app for more than 3 days-nights non
stop.

The graphics are still fluent, fast and perfect. 

But in Linux OS (on my PC), after one or two hours playing, all
graphics are slower, tired, lazy, timers respond slower,...

I do not have find any memory problems or leak (Heaptrc,)...

Is it a known problem in Linux ?

Many thanks.

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Fred vS · 2011-07-23 14:42

Toc, toc, toc, is there anybody here ?

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Leledumbo · 2011-07-23 15:26

Could be anything. Try checking your system monitor / task manager /
whatever you have (I'm using Kubuntu, and it's called system monitor
here). What's your distro/desktop environment?

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Fred vS · 2011-07-23 19:42

@ Leledumbo

Thank you for your answer.
Im using Ubuntu 10.10, gnome, GTK2.

The Monitor System shows me 0 % of CPU and +- 10 megas memory used
when nothing is playing.

When songs are playing, it use +- 40 % of CPU and +- 13 megas memory.

It append after +- one hour playing, the timers respond slower (a mix
of 8 seconds become 20 seconds, buttons respond very slowly, ...)

I do not find how to correct it, in monitor system, nothing
different...

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LuizAmérico · 2011-07-23 23:21

Some tips:

1. Try to compile with Qt widgetset
2. maybe related to some resource leaking:
http://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=8595

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Leledumbo · 2011-07-24 10:47

QuoteIt append after +- one hour playing, the timers respond slower (a
mix of 8 seconds become 20 seconds, buttons respond very slowly,
...)Hmm... I didn't try that long and indeed the CPU and memory usage
is about the same as you post if the program runs around 10 minutes.
What does the program do internally? i.e. when playing songs.
Read/write some files? Also does it happen when the program just runs
without playing anything for an hour? I believe the kernel/GUI backend
would notice that a program isn't being used for a certain time and
therefore decides to swap in the pages holding the program's code and
data to disk, and use the memory for other processes. But this would
only happen if the program isn't doing anything. One more thing, when
it happens, how's the CPU and memory?

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Blaazen · 2011-07-24 15:33

Now I have here miximum in problematic state. Graphic is really slow.
It became after 1, 2 or 3 hours (I was AFK).
It has now higher CPU load but this load doesn't come from miximum but
from Xorg server (even if miximum is minimalized).
Top:
Code: [Select]  PID USER      PR  NI  VIRT  RES  SHR S %CPU %MEM   
TIME+  COMMAND                                 
 1057 root      20   0  374m 150m  90m R   90  3.8 126:10.87 Xorg    
                              
 2492 v1        20   0  337m  32m  16m S   10  0.8  45:41.91 miximum 
                              
 2080 v1        20   0  858m 435m  29m S    9 11.0  12:43.96 opera   
                              
 1796 v1         9 -11  285m  18m  16m S    4  0.5   8:14.87
pulseaudio                              
 2002 root      20   0 14360 3728 1632 S    2  0.1   0:46.14 powertop 
                              
 2329 v1        20   0  359m  24m  12m R    1  0.6   1:29.50
operapluginwrap                         
 2602 v1        20   0  447m  33m  25m S    1  0.8   3:39.87
ksysguard                               
 1857 v1        20   0  429m  23m  16m S    1  0.6   0:10.62 konsole 
                              
 1588 root      20   0 45168 1056  692 S    0  0.0   0:06.33 udisks-
daemon                           
 1741 v1        20   0  793m  65m  35m S    0  1.6   1:04.59 plasma-
desktop                          
 2604 v1        20   0  9304 1288  820 S    0  0.0   0:37.53
ksysguardd                              
 5986 root       5 -15     0    0    0 S    0  0.0   0:00.71
khidpd_045800a7   

EDIT: When miximum finished playing, graphic was still slow but there
was no high CPU load from Xorg.

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Fred vS · 2011-07-26 19:47

Thank you very much LuizAmérico  , Leledumbo   and Blaazen 

@ LuizAmérico

Quote1. Try to compile with Qt widgetset
OK, i gonna try it... (and im afraid to install-compile Lazarus for
Qt  )

@ Leledumbo

QuoteWhat does the program do internally? i.e. when playing songs.
Read/write some files?
In test mode i let the program do the auto mixes (click once on the
Hand and let the program do the work). It do not write anything, only
decode the mp3 on loading (for the wave form), playing the song,
catching the level for VU and spectrum and drawing the current
position on the wave form...
No effects are used, no recording, no BPM stretch, no scratching only
playing the cue list...

QuoteAlso does it happen when the program just runs without playing
anything for an hour?
I do not know, i gonna test it...

QuoteOne more thing, when it happens, how's the CPU and memory?
Not really different than when OK...

@ Mr Blaazen

QuoteNow I have here miximum in problematic state. Graphic is really
slow. It became after 1, 2 or 3 hours (I was AFK).
It has now higher CPU load but this load doesn't come from miximum but
from Xorg server (even if miximum is minimalized).
And what is the cure Doctor ?

@  LuizAmérico, Leledumbo and Blaazen : many, many thanks to spent
your time for miXimum.

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Blaazen · 2011-07-26 20:20

No idea. 
As I wrote, when miximum finished playing then it was slow too (and no
CPU load from XOrg nor from miximum).
Maybe threads, timers.... Hard to say.

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jl · 2011-07-27 02:32

Quote from: Blaazen on July 26, 2011, 10:20:51 pmNo idea. 
As I wrote, when miximum finished playing then it was slow too (and no
CPU load from XOrg nor from miximum).
Maybe threads, timers.... Hard to say.


How can he debug that?

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Fred vS · 2011-07-27 16:12

Last night the Qt saves my live  

Iiiiiiiaaaaa, yaouuuw, now it is more than one night and one day non
stop that miXimum is running perfectly, with same fluidity, graphics
fast, audio rendering perfect.  

Im totally converted to Qt, bye-bye GTK2 and welcome to my new hair (i
loose all of it with GTK2).

Now some comments...

Splash screen:
For the splash-shaped form, with GTK2 the background must be black and
the shape white. In Qt it is opposite.
Done. 

Error in running:
QuoteEListError.with message "Duplicate ID: FFFFFFFFFFFFFF31"It seems
that Qt have some problems with allocating ID.
The cure is to place Application.ProcessMessages after each "big"
procedure.
Done. 

Loops:
In GTK2 if i want that the loop gives control to graphics:
Code: [Select]Procedure loopGTK2();
begin
While  "something is true" do
begin
application.processmessage;   // give control to graphics
procedure_in_loop();
end;
end;

That do not work well in Qt, of course it release the control to
graphics but the procedure inside the loop take to much time to
finish.

That solve the problem for Qt:

Code: [Select]procedure loopQt();
var
chx : shortint;
begin
chx := 0;
While  "something is true" do
begin
inc(chx);
if chx > 40 then begin
application.processmessage;   // to let control to graphics
chx := 0;
end;
procedure_in_loop();
end;
end;
Done. 


Im very happy, i switch from Delphi to Lazarus because of the Linux
version.
I was a little disappointed when i get that problem with graphics
after one hour playing.
And, trust me, i have done all what i could do to find the problem in
GTK2, i never find it.

Once again, thank to you great Lazarus-pros, Qt is the solution.

Many, many, many thanks   

PS: I gonna try miXimum in all the ways to check if no more problems
then, of course, i gonna give you the brand new, full functioned, no
stop and full speed Qt version of miXimum..

PS: Well seen LuizAmérico

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Mike.Cornflake · 2011-08-07 20:59

That's a slick looping app you've got there, nicely done :-)

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avra · 2011-08-08 07:54

Code: [Select]if chx > 40 then beginIt seams to me that you have tuned
this for your specific configuration, but how do you know that it will
be the same on much worse or much better hardware then yours? It most
probably won't, and you will probably need some calibration in
initialization if you want to keep this approach. It might be better
to rethink if there is some other solution for this problem...