GNOME3 Staging PPA

[VinDSL]

Here's a weird one for you. Gave me goosebumps... Really!

After 4 hours of LLVMpipe lagginess, I couldn't take it anymore, soooo I started looking for a solution.

Startpage (Google proxy search engine) didn't help much -- found zillions of posts complaining about it, but that was about it.

Funny thing was, some (respected names) in these forums said, they couldn't see any difference in performance, between nVidia drivers and Nouveau. How could that be?!?!?

Then, it dawned on me. My debug script was reporting VMware, Inc. to be the OpenGL vendor. Hello

After pondering this for a while, I started thinking about "/etc/modprobe.d" et al. Seems like I blacklisted Nouveau years ago. That couldn't be it, right? Otherwise, why is it working, albeit horrible slow, laggy, and consuming 100% CPU usage most of the time?

Sure enough! Even though I (myself) hadn't blacklisted Nouveau (or it had gone to null) there was a file in "/etc/modprobe.d" called "nvidia-installer-disable-nouveau.conf".

I renamed that file, with a different extension, and restarted Saucy. Bingo!

Updated report...

Current Date/Time: Sun May 26 16:34:55 MST 2013
Distro Release: Ubuntu Saucy Salamander (development branch)
Kernel Release: Linux 3.10.0-031000rc2-generic
Gnome Release: GNOME Shell 3.9.1
Unity Release: unity 7.0.0

OpenGL vendor string:   nouveau
OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on NV4B
OpenGL version string:  2.1 Mesa 9.2.0

w00t! No more LLVMpipe -- no more lagginess!

This box is flying now! I ran GTKPerf a few times, and the results/performance are indistinguishable from nVidia-304, now.

Makes me wonder how many 1000's of others are suffering from this Nouveau blacklist/VMware "problem".

[VinDSL]

Upgraded to Linux 3.10-rc3. GDM is working again.

Don't know if it's related to the new kernel, or the Nouveau fix.

That's a wrap, for this weekend...

* Ubu 13.10 Saucy / Gnome-Shell 3.9.1 Staging / Linux 3.10-rc3 / Nouveau Gallium 0.4 / Mesa Hack

[VMC]

After 4 hours of LLVMpipe lagginess, I couldn't take it anymore, soooo I started looking for a solution.

Startpage (Google proxy search engine) didn't help much -- found zillions of posts complaining about it, but that was about it.

Funny thing was, some (respected names) in these forums said, they couldn't see any difference in performance, between nVidia drivers and Nouveau. How could that be?!?!?

Then, it dawned on me. My debug script was reporting VMware, Inc. to be the OpenGL vendor. Hello

After pondering this for a while, I started thinking about "/etc/modprobe.d" et al. Seems like I blacklisted Nouveau years ago. That couldn't be it, right? Otherwise, why is it working, albeit horrible slow, laggy, and consuming 100% CPU usage most of the time?

Sure enough! Even though I (myself) hadn't blacklisted Nouveau (or it had gone to null) there was a file in "/etc/modprobe.d" called "nvidia-installer-disable-nouveau.conf".

I renamed that file, with a different extension, and restarted Saucy. Bingo!

Updated report...

Current Date/Time: Sun May 26 16:34:55 MST 2013
Distro Release: Ubuntu Saucy Salamander (development branch)
Kernel Release: Linux 3.10.0-031000rc2-generic
Gnome Release: GNOME Shell 3.9.1
Unity Release: unity 7.0.0

OpenGL vendor string:   nouveau
OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on NV4B
OpenGL version string:  2.1 Mesa 9.2.0

w00t! No more LLVMpipe -- no more lagginess!

This box is flying now! I ran GTKPerf a few times, and the results/performance are indistinguishable from nVidia-304, now.

Makes me wonder how many 1000's of others are suffering from this Nouveau blacklist/VMware "problem".

I'm unsure exactly what this may mean, because if you install nvidia proprietary using "*.run" file it requires that nouveau be blacklisted , and will create nvidia-installer-disable-nouveau.con for you. I read a few pages back, thinking this may reference something else, but couldn't find anything.

[VinDSL]

I'm unsure exactly what this may mean, because if you install nvidia proprietary using "*.run" file it requires that nouveau be blacklisted , and will create nvidia-installer-disable-nouveau.con for you. I read a few pages back, thinking this may reference something else, but couldn't find anything.

Okay, here's my *thinking*...

I have a kernel fetish -- cannot stand it, unless I'm running the latest mainline kernel -- probably a psychological defect, second only to my addiction to Conky.

I tried to install Linux 3.10-rc1, last week, but this is a legacy machine, which requires nVidia 304.xx drivers (currently).

nVidia-304 has not been patched for Linux 3.10. It causes the Linux 3.10 install to fail, because the initial nVidia module won't build.

Fast forward... I saw a benchmark comparison -- nVidia vs Nouveau -- while surfing the web. Bottom line: Nouveau performed slight better than the latest nVidia drivers, with the Mesa Hack that I already have installed.

I started thinking... why don't I just purge nVidia-304 and install Nouveau?!?!? That way, I can install Linux 3.10 without having the nVidia drivers booger_things_up.

Sure enough, this worked, but I was stuck in LLVMpipe mode, which is slow as snot.

When I'd had my fill of the LLVMpipe lagginess, I started looking for a solution. After all, some ppl said they couldn't see any difference in performance -- nVidia vs Nouveau.

As I was sitting here, mulling it over, drinking coffee, and listening to 90's Alternative Rock, it occurred to me that I most assuredly had blacklisted Nouveau, in the past. While I was checking into it, that's when I discovered that Nouveau was indeed blacklisted. Soooo, I renamed the conf file (disabled it) and restarted Saucy.

Dude, this thing came up like a ball_of_fire -- day n' night difference!

I still don't know why the OpenGL vendor string said VMware, Inc. or why it changed to Nouveau. By then, I was tired of playing around with it, and I had accomplished what I wanted to do, so I didn't investigate further.

Make sense?!?!?

Nouveau Blacklisted: Super slow and laggy...

Current Date/Time: Sun May 26 10:45:04 MST 2013
Distro Release: Ubuntu Saucy Salamander (development branch)
Kernel Release: Linux 3.10.0-031000rc2-generic
Gnome Release: GNOME Shell 3.9.1
Unity Release: unity 7.0.0

OpenGL vendor string:   VMware, Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on llvmpipe (LLVM 3.2, 128 bits)
OpenGL version string:  2.1 Mesa 9.2.0

Nouveau Enabled: Performs fast (or faster) than nVidia-304...

Current Date/Time: Sun May 26 16:34:55 MST 2013
Distro Release: Ubuntu Saucy Salamander (development branch)
Kernel Release: Linux 3.10.0-031000rc2-generic
Gnome Release: GNOME Shell 3.9.1
Unity Release: unity 7.0.0

OpenGL vendor string:   nouveau
OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on NV4B
OpenGL version string:  2.1 Mesa 9.2.0

[rezzo]

Today update my 13.04 with gnome3 and stage ppa and something is broken, I can't use gnome shell. xD

[VinDSL]

I can't use gnome shell. xD

Er...

Which Gnome-Shell? Gnome3 Staging 3.9.2 is working fine, here...

vindsl@Zuul:~$ echo && echo "~ VinDSL Unity Debug Script 12.12.06 (vindsl.com) ~" && echo -n "Current Date/Time: " && date && echo -n "Distro Release: " && lsb_release -sd && echo -n "Kernel Release: " || cat /etc/*release && uname -s -r && echo -n "Gnome Release: " && gnome-shell --version && echo -n "Unity Release: " && unity --version && echo && /usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test -p -f && echo || echo && dpkg -s mesa-utils && echo || echo && echo "Xserver Xorg Core Branch:" && apt-cache policy xserver-xorg-core | grep Installed && echo || echo && echo "Tree Map of PCI Devices:" && lspci -tv && echo || echo && echo "Display Properties:" && echo -n " lcd monitor:    Dell UltraSharp 1907FP (analog input)" && echo  && xdpyinfo | grep -E '(resolution|dimensions)' && echo

~ VinDSL Unity Debug Script 12.12.06 (vindsl.com) ~
Current Date/Time: Fri May 31 15:38:25 MST 2013
Distro Release: Ubuntu Saucy Salamander (development branch)
Kernel Release: Linux 3.10.0-031000rc3-generic
Gnome Release: GNOME Shell 3.9.2
Unity Release: unity 7.0.0

OpenGL vendor string:   nouveau
OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on NV4B
OpenGL version string:  2.1 Mesa 9.2.0

Not software rendered:    yes
Not blacklisted:          yes
GLX fbconfig:             yes
GLX texture from pixmap:  yes
GL npot or rect textures: yes
GL vertex program:        yes
GL fragment program:      yes
GL vertex buffer object:  yes
GL framebuffer object:    yes
GL version is 1.4+:       yes

Unity 3D supported:       yes

Package: mesa-utils
Status: install ok installed
Priority: optional
Section: x11
Installed-Size: 106
Maintainer: Ubuntu X-SWAT <ubuntu-x@lists.ubuntu.com>
Architecture: i386
Source: mesa-demos
Version: 8.0.1+git20110129+d8f7d6b-0ubuntu2+edgers
Replaces: xbase-clients (<< 6.8.2-38)
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.4), libgl1-mesa-glx | libgl1, libx11-6
Description: Miscellaneous Mesa GL utilities
 This package provides several basic GL utilities built by Mesa, including
 glxinfo and glxgears.
Homepage: http://mesa3d.sourceforge.net/

Xserver Xorg Core Branch:
  Installed: 2:1.13.4~git20130508+server-1.13-branch.10c42f57-0ubuntu0ricotz~raring

Tree Map of PCI Devices:
-[0000:00]-+-00.0  Intel Corporation 82875P/E7210 Memory Controller Hub
           +-01.0-[01]----00.0  NVIDIA Corporation G73 [GeForce 7600 GT]
           +-06.0  Intel Corporation 82875P/E7210 Processor to I/O Memory Interface
           +-1d.0  Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #1
           +-1d.1  Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #2
           +-1d.2  Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #3
           +-1d.3  Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI Controller #4
           +-1d.7  Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB2 EHCI Controller
           +-1e.0-[02]----0c.0  Lite-On Communications Inc LNE100TX
           +-1f.0  Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) LPC Interface Bridge
           +-1f.2  Intel Corporation 82801EB (ICH5) SATA Controller
           +-1f.3  Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) SMBus Controller
           \-1f.5  Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) AC'97 Audio Controller

Display Properties:
 lcd monitor:    Dell UltraSharp 1907FP (analog input)
  dimensions:    1280x1024 pixels (338x270 millimeters)
  resolution:    96x96 dots per inch

vindsl@Zuul:~$

[Harry33]

Er...

Which Gnome-Shell? Gnome3 Staging 3.9.2 is working fine, here...

And so is gnome-shell 3.8.2 + Gnome3 and Gnome3 Staging PPA too.

[VinDSL]

And so is gnome-shell 3.8.2 + Gnome3 and Gnome3 Staging PPA too.

Hi Harry,

By any chance, are you using edgers/saucy?

I've been putting off switching from edgers/raring -> edgers/saucy.

*Thought* about doing it today, but edgers/saucy wants to hold-back pango 1.0 upgrades et al.

Flags are flying, and red-lights flashing, in my mind, you know?!?!?

Don't *feel* like playing Russian Roulette yet today (maybe later). Prudence is keeping me from pulling_the_trigger...

[xeizo]

I installled the whole gnome-shell stuff up to 3.9.2 on my incrementally upgraded 13.10, switched to GDM of course, it works rather well even though I had to make a few adjustments in gnome-tweak-tool for my liking. Luckily gtt worked in 3.8.2 before I did the last upgrade to 3.9.2, when gnome-tweak-tool became autoremoved but the changes were sticky. Anyway, basically it works, and with a more "stable" feel to it than any other earlier gnome-shell release I've tested. Looks promising, too early to say if it's preferrable to Unity but Nautilus crashes way to often in Unity these days not so in Gnome-Shell ...

[zika]

Hi Harry,

By any chance, are you using edgers/saucy?

I've been putting off switching from edgers/raring -> edgers/saucy.

*Thought* about doing it today, but edgers/saucy wants to hold-back pango 1.0 upgrades et al.

Flags are flying, and red-lights flashing, in my mind, you know?!?!?

Don't *feel* like playing Russian Roulette yet today (maybe later). Prudence is keeping me from pulling_the_trigger...

Are You sure that comes from Xorg_Edgers...?
I've just glanced through that and dist-upgrade wants to strip whole install to the bare metal...