Very slow gnome startup

ux&lx · 2009-05-31 16:10:24

This is happening to me for quite some time now I just didn't have the will to write about it and ask for help. My Arch system start is fast (19 seconds to GDM). But the problem is in Gnome startup. It approximately takes 20-25 seconds from GDM to Gnome desktop. I think that everyone will agree that this is very slow. There aren't many apps which start at Gnome startup (conky, gnome-do, wicd client and the rest of usual gnome services). Someone mentioned at one post before that Nvidia drivers slow thing down. I know about this problem, but 25 seconds is just too much. And please don't mention the /etc/hosts file because that is not the problem Once Gnome starts everything works fine and quite fast. The hardware shouldn't be the problem (Lenovo Thinkapd T61). Any suggestion is welcome...

EvilSide · 2009-05-31 16:29:09

It should be caused by hosts file.
Cat your /etc/hosts here.

FrozenFox · 2009-05-31 17:18:37

I noticed that my gnome started painfully slow once when I deleted some menu entries that apparently gnome doesn't like having deleted, as bizarre as that sounds, reproducibly.

To see if that or any other local files are the case with certainty, I've come to find this 'method' is quite useful.. make an arbitrary test user with sudo adduser and then try to login as that one twice (first time always takes a while..). If the second time still takes forever, that's not the issue obviously (so userdel the test user and remove their folder in /home), and I don't know what else to tell you since you're sure hosts is right.

Last edited by FrozenFox (2009-05-31 17:21:43)

ux&lx · 2009-05-31 17:26:02

If you insist:

~> cat /etc/hosts
#
# /etc/hosts: static lookup table for host names
#

#<ip-address>    <hostname.domain.org>    <hostname>
127.0.0.1        localhost.localdomain    localhost  darkstar

# End of file

ux&lx · 2009-05-31 17:31:22

Ok, i've made a test user. Gnome startup with new user takes maybe 5 seconds. So what are my next steps? I doubt that the problem is conky and gnome-do. Actualy i've disabled those programs and the startup for my regular user was still very slow....
Could the problem be in theme, fonts (anti-aliasing), some files and directories in home folder....??

Last edited by ux&lx (2009-05-31 17:33:48)

EvilSide · 2009-05-31 18:43:46

I still think its hosts problem
Change /etc/hosts like this, than reboot:

127.0.0.1        localhost.localdomain    localhost  darkstar
127.0.0.1        darkstar                      darkstar

ux&lx · 2009-06-01 07:29:15

It's not the hosts problem. I've edited the file and startup is still the same, as i presumed it would be. Could the problem be in the folders in which apps keep their configurations?

bernarcher · 2009-06-01 11:37:53

As a last resort you could try set up your test user step by step as your standard user and check if and when the problem shines up.

ux&lx · 2009-06-02 18:19:34

Ok here is what i've done: I copyed all directories (except the dot directories and files) from my user home to temporary directory, deleted the user and his directory, made new user with the same name as previous one and copied the folders from temporary directory to new home. The startup remaines the same, very slow. There's nothing in users home except some music, photos, videos and some develompent source files.... I'm out of ideas...

Last edited by ux&lx (2009-06-02 18:20:11)

Peasantoid · 2009-06-02 19:24:50

The dot directories/files could very well be the problem. Try moving those as well and see if it persists.

Last edited by Peasantoid (2009-06-02 19:25:05)

eldragon · 2009-06-02 20:14:20

Peasantoid wrote:

The dot directories/files could very well be the problem. Try moving those as well and see if it persists.

he is saying its still slow without the hidden folders/files

i have this same problem. always thought it was due to cruft buildup. ive got two users setup here, me and my brother's account which i kindly set up for him.

his desktop starts up much faster than mine, and i dont know why.

iBertus · 2009-06-02 20:26:55

This is probably unrelated, but I started noticing this problem on my GNOME setup lately. It takes ~10-12 seconds of just sitting there before GNOME desktop is usable. The screen is just black with the mouse cursor visible. I think this started hapening a few updates back and before that it never happened even with 1000s of pics and videos on a 3.5TB /home directory.

thayer · 2009-06-03 01:42:36

iBertus wrote:

This is probably unrelated, but I started noticing this problem on my GNOME setup lately. It takes ~10-12 seconds of just sitting there before GNOME desktop is usable. The screen is just black with the mouse cursor visible. I think this started hapening a few updates back and before that it never happened even with 1000s of pics and videos on a 3.5TB /home directory.

iBertus, our central PC just started doing that this morning. Like you said, it may be unrelated to the OP--it seems to me it could be a problem with X/Nvidia. We've got an Nvidia card and we keep seeing the Nvidia splash screen pop up and then it goes back to the blinking cursor. Repeat this about 3 times and we finally get to the desktop.

Last edited by thayer (2009-06-03 01:43:21)

graysky · 2009-06-03 06:42:06

Use bootchart and post the result. It should pinpoint what process is to blame.

ux&lx · 2009-12-01 09:52:26

This is my old topic and I still have the same problems. The system starts very fast, but gnome startup is very very slow, around 30 seconds. Last time no one knew what I could do to solve it. When i create new test user, Gnome starts within 5 seconds or even faster. Can someone please help me.

eagleton · 2009-12-01 10:06:00

What about the window manager? Do you use Compiz?

ux&lx · 2009-12-01 11:08:22

Currently I am, but the situation wasn't much better when i didn't use it...

Arch Linux

#1 2009-05-31 16:10:24

Very slow gnome startup

#2 2009-05-31 16:29:09

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#3 2009-05-31 17:18:37

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#4 2009-05-31 17:26:02

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#5 2009-05-31 17:31:22

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#6 2009-05-31 18:43:46

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#7 2009-06-01 07:29:15

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#8 2009-06-01 11:37:53

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#9 2009-06-02 18:19:34

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#10 2009-06-02 19:24:50

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#11 2009-06-02 20:14:20

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#12 2009-06-02 20:26:55

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#13 2009-06-03 01:42:36

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#14 2009-06-03 06:42:06

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#15 2009-12-01 09:52:26

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#16 2009-12-01 10:06:00

Re: Very slow gnome startup

#17 2009-12-01 11:08:22

Re: Very slow gnome startup

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