Slow Openbox Performance?

deadrabbit · 2009-02-03 15:48:14

OpenBox is really slow switching between complex windows (firefox and thunderbird for example), even slower than metacity and xfwm4. Using a light GTK theme, like Mist, helps a little. I realize that these WM and OpenBox don't do compositing, so they need to draw a window whenever it's brought to the front. I've tried using xcompmgr, and that fixes the problem, but it creates another problem: xcompmgr appears to only keep the windows in the current desktop updated, so switching desktops is really slow.

Is there a way to improve windows switching performance in Openbox?

Alternatively, is there a way to improve desktop switching performance in xcompmgr?

I don't care if the solution requires allocating more background resources to xcompmgr or openbox. I would use compiz, if it was as configurable as openbox, and a bit more stable on my work computer, running Fedora (using a different set of shortcuts and window manipulation tricks is too much for my small brain).

Are there any other solutions I'm overlooking?

Thanks!

Hrod beraht · 2009-02-03 16:07:06

Are you sure it's Openbox itself?
The reason I ask is that I'm running it on an ancient 900 MHz Athlon machine with a pitifully weak 8 MB graphics card and despite that Openbox is amazingly snappy. Even switching back and forth to Firefox with 20 tabs open.

Bob

cinan · 2009-02-03 16:18:06

deadrabbit wrote:

Is there a way to improve windows switching performance in Openbox?
Thanks!

look at http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=60169
If you have ATI/fglrx, answer is: NO. Just wait for better fglrx drivers. Only thing you can do is disable composition.

Last edited by cinan (2009-02-03 16:18:43)

deadrabbit · 2009-02-03 16:34:59

Are you sure it's Openbox itself?

Perhaps it's a problem combining Openbox with DE. At work, I use Fedora with Gnome and Openbox. At home,I use Arch with XFCE and Openbox. I have the same problem in both places. What GTK theme do you use? I've noticed some considerable differences there.

I've tried the nopat option before to fix compositing problems with Compiz in Fedora, and it didn't help (I use the integrated Intel graphics on both machines). I'll give it another shot though, when I get a chance to restart. What kind of fool would use an ATI card in Linux

Mr Green · 2009-02-03 16:40:45

Openbox on its own would be the way to go for all out speed....firing up Gnome for example would slow things right down

deadrabbit · 2009-02-03 17:48:14

It looks like the nopat option did it, thanks! xcompmgr is switching desktops quite nicely now, although there are still some weird glitches on the screen.

Openbox on its own would be the way to go for all out speed....firing up Gnome for example would slow things right down

I've tried stand alone openbox before, and it doesn't seem to make any difference. Not using GDM does improve performance some, but I need to lock and unlock my computer a lot, so GDM seems like the best option for that. As far as using Gnome itself goes, I only use it at work, since I use Nautilus a lot to open SMB shares. I suppose I could use openbox with nautilus and gdm on it's own, but there aren't a lot of advantages for me there. And I like a good panel - xfce, or gnome, so I'd be running that anyway. I've never been content with the lightweight panel alternatives.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions!

Hrod beraht · 2009-02-03 19:37:31

deadrabbit wrote:

Are you sure it's Openbox itself?
Perhaps it's a problem combining Openbox with DE. At work, I use Fedora with Gnome and Openbox. At home,I use Arch with XFCE and Openbox. I have the same problem in both places. What GTK theme do you use? I've noticed some considerable differences there.

Well that's definitely a difference between us, as I'm using Openbox all by itself, no Gnome/XFCE, or other environment.
I'm using the Industrial GTK theme and Neo Openbox them, but I doubt those are causing the difference so much as the Gnome/XFCE addition.

deadrabbit wrote:

I need to lock and unlock my computer a lot, so GDM seems like the best option for that...

Me too, as I walk away from my computer quite a bit, but I just use slock, which has zero overhead.

Bob

Inxsible · 2009-02-04 00:14:17

whenever you have memory issues or something not running fast enough, you should run the ps_mem.py and find out what program is hogging resources. Search for it on the web, its a python script that I have found to be extremely useful.

deadrabbit · 2009-02-04 00:34:08

whenever you have memory issues or something not running fast enough, you should run the ps_mem.py and find out what program is hogging resources. Search for it on the web, its a python script that I have found to be extremely useful.

I suppose I wasn't quite clear - there's no spike in RAM or CPU usage when this occurs, it's just slow. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, it's solved: using xcompmgr with the nopat kernel option makes GTK rendering seem instantaneous. Thanks for the tip though Inxsible.

Arch Linux

#1 2009-02-03 15:48:14

Slow Openbox Performance?

#2 2009-02-03 16:07:06

Re: Slow Openbox Performance?

#3 2009-02-03 16:18:06

Re: Slow Openbox Performance?

#4 2009-02-03 16:34:59

Re: Slow Openbox Performance?

#5 2009-02-03 16:40:45

Re: Slow Openbox Performance?

#6 2009-02-03 17:48:14

Re: Slow Openbox Performance?

#7 2009-02-03 19:37:31

Re: Slow Openbox Performance?

#8 2009-02-04 00:14:17

Re: Slow Openbox Performance?

#9 2009-02-04 00:34:08

Re: Slow Openbox Performance?

Board footer