Super slow graphics on a fresh install. Inspiron 1501 Dell laptop.

[sinnedam]

I am a small step above a Linux newbie but far from an expert. I just installed a fresh copy of Ubuntu 15.10. I had a widely experienced issue of colorful bars filling the screen after booting to the disk during install. The fix mentioned online worked perfectly for that. Then I had the issue of the wireless card not working, and once again the fix I found worked. The problem I cannot fix is the graphics in the GUI are incredibly slow. A good 10 seconds to minimize a window or open a new one. It is like it is in slow motion. It acts like as if there isnt a video driver loaded, but im not sure how to determine that. I think it is an ATI chipset but when I go to about this computer the graphics are listed as Gallium 0.4 on llvmpipe (LLVM 3.6, 128 bits)

Any help is appreciated.

[kansasnoob]

See if Additional Drivers are available:

http://askubuntu.com/questions/47506/how-do-i-install-additional-drivers

[kansasnoob]

BTW, if proprietary drivers are available one will usually say it's been tested.

[mörgæs]

Let's see the hardware details. Please run
sudo lshw -sanitize > lshw.txt and post lshw.txt in CODE tags.

[sinnedam]

Let's see the hardware details. Please run
sudo lshw -sanitize > lshw.txt and post lshw.txt in CODE tags.

Here you go


computer
description: Computer
width: 64 bits
capabilities: smbios-2.4 vsyscall32
*-core
description: Motherboard
physical id: 0
*-memory
description: System memory
physical id: 0
size: 1873MiB
*-cpu
product: AMD Turion(tm) 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL-50
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD]
physical id: 1
bus info: cpu@0
size: 1600MHz
capacity: 1600MHz
width: 64 bits
capabilities: fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt rdtscp x86-64 3dnowext 3dnow rep_good nopl extd_apicid pni cx16 lahf_lm cmp_legacy svm extapic cr8_legacy 3dnowprefetch vmmcall cpufreq
*-pci:0
description: Host bridge
product: RS480/RS482/RS485 Host Bridge
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 100
bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
version: 10
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
configuration: latency=64
*-pci:0
description: PCI bridge
product: RC4xx/RS4xx PCI Bridge [int gfx]
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 1
bus info: pci@0000:00:01.0
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: pci ht normal_decode bus_master cap_list
resources: ioport:9000(size=4096) memory:c0100000-c01fffff ioport:c8000000(size=134217728)
*-display UNCLAIMED
description: VGA compatible controller
product: RS482M [Mobility Radeon Xpress 200]
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 5
bus info: pci@0000:01:05.0
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=66 mingnt=8
resources: memory:c8000000-cfffffff ioport:9000(size=256) memory:c0100000-c010ffff memory:c0120000-c013ffff
*-pci:1
description: PCI bridge
product: RC4xx/RS4xx PCI Express Port 2
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 5
bus info: pci@0000:00:05.0
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pci pm pciexpress msi ht normal_decode cap_list
configuration: driver=pcieport
resources: irq:0 ioport:2000(size=4096) memory:80000000-801fffff ioport:80200000(size=2097152)
*-pci:2
description: PCI bridge
product: RC4xx/RS4xx PCI Express Port 3
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 6
bus info: pci@0000:00:06.0
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pci pm pciexpress msi ht normal_decode bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=pcieport
resources: irq:0 ioport:3000(size=4096) memory:c0200000-c02fffff ioport:80400000(size=2097152)
*-network
description: Network controller
product: BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN
vendor: Broadcom Corporation
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:05:00.0
version: 01
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=b43-pci-bridge latency=0
resources: irq:18 memory:c0200000-c0203fff
*-storage
description: SATA controller
product: SB600 Non-Raid-5 SATA
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 12
bus info: pci@0000:00:12.0
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: storage pm ahci_1.0 bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=ahci latency=64
resources: irq:22 ioport:8438(size=8) ioport:8454(size=4) ioport:8430(size=8) ioport:8450(size=4) ioport:8400(size=16) memory:c0004000-c00043ff
*-usb:0
description: USB controller
product: SB600 USB (OHCI0)
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 13
bus info: pci@0000:00:13.0
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: ohci bus_master
configuration: driver=ohci-pci latency=64
resources: irq:16 memory:c0005000-c0005fff
*-usbhost
product: OHCI PCI host controller
vendor: Linux 4.2.0-27-generic ohci_hcd
physical id: 1
bus info: usb@2
logical name: usb2
version: 4.02
capabilities: usb-1.10
configuration: driver=hub slots=2 speed=12Mbit/s
*-usb:1
description: USB controller
product: SB600 USB (OHCI1)
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 13.1
bus info: pci@0000:00:13.1
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: ohci bus_master
configuration: driver=ohci-pci latency=64
resources: irq:17 memory:c0006000-c0006fff
*-usbhost
product: OHCI PCI host controller
vendor: Linux 4.2.0-27-generic ohci_hcd
physical id: 1
bus info: usb@3
logical name: usb3
version: 4.02
capabilities: usb-1.10
configuration: driver=hub slots=2 speed=12Mbit/s
*-usb:2
description: USB controller
product: SB600 USB (OHCI2)
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 13.2
bus info: pci@0000:00:13.2
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: ohci bus_master
configuration: driver=ohci-pci latency=64
resources: irq:18 memory:c0007000-c0007fff
*-usbhost
product: OHCI PCI host controller
vendor: Linux 4.2.0-27-generic ohci_hcd
physical id: 1
bus info: usb@4
logical name: usb4
version: 4.02
capabilities: usb-1.10
configuration: driver=hub slots=2 speed=12Mbit/s
*-usb:3
description: USB controller
product: SB600 USB (OHCI3)
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 13.3
bus info: pci@0000:00:13.3
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: ohci bus_master
configuration: driver=ohci-pci latency=64
resources: irq:17 memory:c0008000-c0008fff
*-usbhost
product: OHCI PCI host controller
vendor: Linux 4.2.0-27-generic ohci_hcd
physical id: 1
bus info: usb@5
logical name: usb5
version: 4.02
capabilities: usb-1.10
configuration: driver=hub slots=2 speed=12Mbit/s
*-usb:4
description: USB controller
product: SB600 USB (OHCI4)
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 13.4
bus info: pci@0000:00:13.4
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: ohci bus_master
configuration: driver=ohci-pci latency=64
resources: irq:18 memory:c0009000-c0009fff
*-usbhost
product: OHCI PCI host controller
vendor: Linux 4.2.0-27-generic ohci_hcd
physical id: 1
bus info: usb@6
logical name: usb6
version: 4.02
capabilities: usb-1.10
configuration: driver=hub slots=2 speed=12Mbit/s
*-usb:5
description: USB controller
product: SB600 USB Controller (EHCI)
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 13.5
bus info: pci@0000:00:13.5
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: pm debug ehci bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=ehci-pci latency=64
resources: irq:19 memory:c0004400-c00044ff
*-usbhost
product: EHCI Host Controller
vendor: Linux 4.2.0-27-generic ehci_hcd
physical id: 1
bus info: usb@1
logical name: usb1
version: 4.02
capabilities: usb-2.00
configuration: driver=hub slots=10 speed=480Mbit/s
*-serial
description: SMBus
product: SBx00 SMBus Controller
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 14
bus info: pci@0000:00:14.0
version: 13
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: ht cap_list
configuration: driver=piix4_smbus latency=0
resources: irq:0 ioport:8410(size=16) memory:c0004800-c0004bff
*-ide
description: IDE interface
product: SB600 IDE
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 14.1
bus info: pci@0000:00:14.1
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: ide msi bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=pata_atiixp latency=64
resources: irq:16 ioport:1f0(size=8) ioport:3f6 ioport:170(size=8) ioport:376 ioport:8420(size=16)
*-multimedia
description: Audio device
product: SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA)
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 14.2
bus info: pci@0000:00:14.2
version: 00
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=snd_hda_intel latency=64
resources: irq:16 memory:c0000000-c0003fff
*-isa
description: ISA bridge
product: SB600 PCI to LPC Bridge
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 14.3
bus info: pci@0000:00:14.3
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: isa bus_master
configuration: latency=0
*-pci:3
description: PCI bridge
product: SBx00 PCI to PCI Bridge
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 14.4
bus info: pci@0000:00:14.4
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: pci subtractive_decode bus_master
resources: memory:c0300000-c03fffff
*-network
description: Ethernet interface
product: BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX
vendor: Broadcom Corporation
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:08:00.0
logical name: eth0
version: 02
serial: [REMOVED]
size: 10Mbit/s
capacity: 100Mbit/s
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list ethernet physical mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=b44 driverversion=2.0 duplex=half latency=64 link=no multicast=yes port=twisted pair speed=10Mbit/s
resources: irq:21 memory:c0300000-c0301fff
*-generic:0
description: SD Host controller
product: R5C822 SD/SDIO/MMC/MS/MSPro Host Adapter
vendor: Ricoh Co Ltd
physical id: 1
bus info: pci@0000:08:01.0
version: 19
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=sdhci-pci latency=64
resources: irq:20 memory:c0302000-c03020ff
*-generic:1
description: System peripheral
product: R5C843 MMC Host Controller
vendor: Ricoh Co Ltd
physical id: 1.1
bus info: pci@0000:08:01.1
version: 01
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=sdhci-pci latency=0
resources: irq:20 memory:c0302400-c03024ff
*-pci:1
description: Host bridge
product: K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD]
physical id: 101
bus info: pci@0000:00:18.0
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
*-pci:2
description: Host bridge
product: K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD]
physical id: 102
bus info: pci@0000:00:18.1
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
*-pci:3
description: Host bridge
product: K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD]
physical id: 103
bus info: pci@0000:00:18.2
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
*-pci:4
description: Host bridge
product: K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD]
physical id: 104
bus info: pci@0000:00:18.3
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
configuration: driver=k8temp
resources: irq:0
*-scsi:0
physical id: 2
logical name: scsi0
capabilities: emulated
*-disk
description: ATA Disk
product: WDC WD1200BEVS-7
vendor: Western Digital
physical id: 0.0.0
bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0
logical name: /dev/sda
version: 1G04
serial: [REMOVED]
size: 111GiB (120GB)
capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos
configuration: ansiversion=5 logicalsectorsize=512 sectorsize=512 signature=baf2582e
*-volume:0
description: EXT4 volume
vendor: Linux
physical id: 1
bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,1
logical name: /dev/sda1
logical name: /
version: 1.0
serial: [REMOVED]
size: 109GiB
capacity: 109GiB
capabilities: primary bootable journaled extended_attributes large_files huge_files dir_nlink extents ext4 ext2 initialized
configuration: created=2016-02-01 15:46:34 filesystem=ext4 lastmountpoint=/ modified=2016-02-03 11:03:48 mount.fstype=ext4 mount.options=rw,relatime,errors=remount-ro,data=ordered mounted=2016-02-03 15:55:33 state=mounted
*-volume:1
description: Extended partition
physical id: 2
bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,2
logical name: /dev/sda2
size: 1916MiB
capacity: 1916MiB
capabilities: primary extended partitioned partitioned:extended
*-logicalvolume
description: Linux swap / Solaris partition
physical id: 5
logical name: /dev/sda5
capacity: 1916MiB
capabilities: nofs
*-scsi:1
physical id: 3
logical name: scsi4
capabilities: emulated
*-cdrom
description: DVD writer
product: DVD+-RW TS-L632D
vendor: TSSTcorp
physical id: 0.0.0
bus info: scsi@4:0.0.0
logical name: /dev/cdrom
logical name: /dev/cdrw
logical name: /dev/dvd
logical name: /dev/dvdrw
logical name: /dev/sr0
version: DE04
capabilities: removable audio cd-r cd-rw dvd dvd-r
configuration: ansiversion=5 status=nodisc
*-network
description: Wireless interface
physical id: 1
logical name: wlan0
serial: [REMOVED]
capabilities: ethernet physical wireless
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=b43 driverversion=4.2.0-27-generic firmware=666.2 ip=[REMOVED] link=yes multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11bg

[Vladlenin5000]

Here's the problem:

*-display UNCLAIMED
description: VGA compatible controller
product: RS482M [Mobility Radeon Xpress 200]
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
physical id: 5
bus info: pci@0000:01:05.0
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=66 mingnt=8
resources: memory:c8000000-cfffffff ioport:9000(size=256) memory:c0100000-c010ffff memory:c0120000-c013ffff

An ancient Radeon graphics chip and on top of that no driver.
This chip was not very good when new, let alone in this day and age. So, even with the proper driver being loaded, standard Ubuntu is way too much for your hardware.

[mörgæs]

Yes, L/Xubuntu or Mate are better choices.
The drivers you are using are the only ones available. Don't try to install other.

[thosecars822]

Could this also be the reason of my slow computer and why the fan is
I described this problem here:
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2344643

I tried sudo lshw -sanitize
and I got this:


.................................................. .....
.................................................. .........
.................................................. ........

*-display
Beschreibung: VGA compatible controller
Produkt: RS482M [Mobility Radeon Xpress 200]
Hersteller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
Physische ID: 5
Bus-Informationen: pci@0000:01:05.0
Version: 00
Breite: 32 bits
Takt: 66MHz
Fähigkeiten: pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
Konfiguration: driver=radeon latency=64 mingnt=8
Ressourcen: irq:17 memory:c0000000-c7ffffff ioport:6000(Größe=256) memory:d4300000-d430ffff memory:d4320000-d433ffff
............................
..........................



Thanks

[mörgæs]

Yes, give it a fresh install of a light Buntu. Ubuntu is too heavy.

[thosecars822]

I think I made a mistake. I found ubuntu 8.sth in this computer. Then I think I downloaded lubuntu 16.10 and I installed it. It was very slow and then I downloaded Lubuntu 14.04 just in case tht worked faster and without the fan on all the time. However that did not work either because it still runs extremely slow. I have not updated the operative system any more.
Currently I have this:



lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS
Release: 14.04
Codename: trusty


I thought this is Lubuntu because that is what I downloaded but now I am confused because this lsb_release command says „Ubuntu“ instead of „Lubuntu“.
Thanks

[mörgæs]

Lubuntu 14.04.5 and 16.10 are fairly similar with regards to processor workload.

The Ubuntu name in the command output only means that the core system is Ubuntu. All systems in the Buntu family will show that.

Have you cleaned the fan and heat sink for dust bunnies?

[thosecars822]

I did not do that because i thought that was not the problem considering the computer worked great with a live Linux distribution:without fan on all the time and much quicker.

[mörgæs]

So, the obvious next step is trying to install the distro which worked well in a live boot.

It's risky to transfer observations from one distro to another. I clean every piece of hardware I get in for repairs no matter if it overheats or not.

[thosecars822]

I have just found this:

https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2323156

They describe exactly each and all of the problems I have very accurately with both the same computer as me.

[mörgæs]

I think it's time to quit studying and begin experimenting. Install a number of promising distros and see if you notice any difference.