Arch only runs smoothly when playing a Youtube video [Solved]

Kimyeti · 2018-01-14 17:34:11

Hi

I have an Arch server at home and everything is going great. The only problem I have is when I remote desktop into the server (using NoMachine).

I have a 3 second delay on every key stroke, but when I play a Youtube video (or a local video) then everything runs smoothly! Some kind people on Reddit said that it might be the GPU and they were right.

When I removed the GPU the lag disappeared. I do need the GPU in my system however and I feel like I've tried everyting with drivers to prevent the lag but nothing helps, so Im hoping someone here might have the answer to help me out

This command:

lspci -k | grep -A 2 -E "(VGA|3D)"

Gave me this output:

VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GK104[GeForce GTX 770](rev a1)
Subsystem: AsusTeK Computer Inc. GK104 [GeForce GTX 770]
Kernel driver in use: nvidia

/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-nvidia.conf

Section "Device"
        Identifier "Nvidia Card"
        Driver "nvidia"
        VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
        BoardName "GeForce GTX 770"
EndSection

Dmesg file:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rdl7ddn9foino … g.txt?dl=0

Thank you for the help <3

Last edited by Kimyeti (2018-01-15 17:27:00)

seth · 2018-01-14 22:28:08

What desktop environment do you use?

Kimyeti · 2018-01-14 22:31:59

seth wrote:

What desktop environment do you use?

I use i3

Last edited by Kimyeti (2018-01-14 22:33:54)

seth · 2018-01-14 22:36:06

Also a compositor?
Do you get faster feedback if the key causes a bigger update, like a visual bell?
Does the lag also affect floating windows?

Kimyeti · 2018-01-14 22:53:28

seth wrote:

Also a compositor?

I use Compton. Should I uninstall it maybe?

seth wrote:

Do you get faster feedback if the key causes a bigger update, like a visual bell?

I don't understand this question, I'm afraid. But if I type very fast then there is less lag than if I type one character at a time.

seth wrote:

Does the lag also affect floating windows?

No that does not seem to have an effect on the lag. Anything fast-phased like playing a video or moving windows has almost no lag.

Last edited by Kimyeti (2018-01-14 22:55:02)

R00KIE · 2018-01-15 01:31:09

Kimyeti wrote:

The only problem I have is when I remote desktop into the server (using NoMachine).
I have a 3 second delay on every key stroke, but when I play a Youtube video (or a local video) then everything runs smoothly!

Is this when you are connected on the same local network or over the internet?

Under the same conditions does it happen if you use X forwarding instead?

seth · 2018-01-15 07:54:12

Not running compton would likely be a good test - iirc nomachine relies on damage events and I can see where a compositor could interfere with that...

Kimyeti · 2018-01-15 16:23:02

Thank you for the replies Seth and R00KIE

seth wrote:

Not running compton would likely be a good test - iirc nomachine relies on damage events and I can see where a compositor could interfere with that...

I disabled Compton in the i3 config file and now there is no lag at all. Everything runs so fast and nice! Thank you very much good sir

It was not only Nomachine though. TigerVNC and X2Go had the same issue as well.

I do think it's very wierd however, why it has such a big affect on my system. Is there something I can do in Compton to prevent this or are there other good alternatives?
And do you know why it does work when the GPU is removed?

Last edited by Kimyeti (2018-01-15 16:34:35)

seth · 2018-01-15 16:59:42

File a bug against nomachine.

Theory:
NoMachine will compress updates by reacting to damage events and occlusion filtering.
Compton will (reasonably) not cause damage events on its output overlay.
NoMachine will ignore all damage events because there's this nice output_only window, covering all damaged windows, and resort to some life-line updating ("just in case")
The video creates an overlay on top of the compositor overlay or somehow break NoMachine's update smartness.

NoMachine will have to detect that this is a compositor overlay and therefore by nature occludes nothing.

Notice that all of the above is wild speculation on what might be going on - could be terribly false.

Kimyeti · 2018-01-15 17:08:52

seth wrote:

File a bug against nomachine.

It's a very good theory, but remember that it affects all of the remote desktop programs on my server, not only NoMachine

Anyway I thank you for your help. Do I need to close this thread as solved on this forum?

Last edited by Kimyeti (2018-01-15 17:10:00)

seth · 2018-01-15 17:11:47

Edit your first posts subject line, but hold on: do you mean this also happens locally, ie. w/o a remote desktop?
In that case it'd certainly be a compton issue, but if this only happens *over* nomachine driving a remote desktop, that's consistent with my theory.

Kimyeti · 2018-01-15 17:26:40

It only happens when I remote desktop into the system

Arch Linux

#1 2018-01-14 17:34:11

Arch only runs smoothly when playing a Youtube video [Solved]

#2 2018-01-14 22:28:08

Re: Arch only runs smoothly when playing a Youtube video [Solved]

#3 2018-01-14 22:31:59

Re: Arch only runs smoothly when playing a Youtube video [Solved]

#4 2018-01-14 22:36:06

Re: Arch only runs smoothly when playing a Youtube video [Solved]

#5 2018-01-14 22:53:28

Re: Arch only runs smoothly when playing a Youtube video [Solved]

#6 2018-01-15 01:31:09

Re: Arch only runs smoothly when playing a Youtube video [Solved]

#7 2018-01-15 07:54:12

Re: Arch only runs smoothly when playing a Youtube video [Solved]

#8 2018-01-15 16:23:02

Re: Arch only runs smoothly when playing a Youtube video [Solved]

#9 2018-01-15 16:59:42

Re: Arch only runs smoothly when playing a Youtube video [Solved]

#10 2018-01-15 17:08:52

Re: Arch only runs smoothly when playing a Youtube video [Solved]

#11 2018-01-15 17:11:47

Re: Arch only runs smoothly when playing a Youtube video [Solved]

#12 2018-01-15 17:26:40

Re: Arch only runs smoothly when playing a Youtube video [Solved]

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