Gnome shell high CPU usage with Wayland

[diplatis]

Hi,

I'm using Debian Buster with linux kernel 5.6.14-2~bpo10+1 from backports on my Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 8th(Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-10310U) gen on a fresh install. With Wayland enabled gnome-shell uses all almost all CPU available, especially when there are open windows and mouse movement. When I disable Wayland everything runs smoothly.
Any suggestions? I'm a newbie, so please, as more detailed as possible.
Thank you very much.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Install the firmware-misc-nonfree .deb package from Debian sid. Do not add the sid repositories, they will break your system.

http://deb.debian.org/debian/pool/non-f ... -1_all.deb

[diplatis]

Thanks for the reply.
I downloaded the deb package from the given link and installed, enabled Wayland, but still the same outcome.

[oswaldkelso]

I've installed over well 40 Desktop environments and window managers and Gnome is by far the heaviest and hence slowest of them all. It is the only one of the 40+ that had me screaming at my PC. Why Debian "The universal operating system" chooses to stick it at the top of the list is beyond me. New users install it because they know no better even though they may be on all-sorts of hardware. As well as being fat and slow it also has a interface that make windows 95 look slick. Pick another Desktop environment and be happy. Xfce is a safe place to get your feet wet and learn.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

I've installed over well 40 Desktop environments and window managers and Gnome is by far the heaviest and hence slowest of them all.

The OP has a tenth-generation Intel CPU and that should run GNOME just fine. My 10-year-old X201 certainly has no problems with it. GNOME uses hardware acceleration for moving the windows around so it is potentially faster than Xfce if the graphics chip is half-decent.

And anyway the OP doesn't have the problem if they use the X session rather than Wayland.

@OP: have you checked the systemd journal for any relevant errors?

[oswaldkelso]

Requiring hardware acceleration for moving the windows around is a feature! One that usually requires non-free firmware that seems to fly in the face of both Debian's and Gnomes espoused aims? Bonkers ...... new thread req I think

[m798]

I have the exact same issue, sorry for hijacking . I'm also new to using Linux and using a relatively recent Intel Core i3 10100 with UHD 630 iGPU. Gnome is very choppy in Wayland, a bit smoother in X11, but still using software rendering. I'm using kernel 5.6, originally installed using openmediavault installation image. I installed Gnome using the tasksel command. I tried to install the above deb file, but no luck. glxinfo | grep OpenGL" gives:

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OpenGL vendor string: VMware, Inc.
OpenGL renderer string: llvmpipe (LLVM 7.0, 256 bits)
OpenGL core profile version string: 3.3 (Core Profile) Mesa 18.3.6
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 3.30
OpenGL core profile context flags: (none)
OpenGL core profile profile mask: core profile
OpenGL core profile extensions:
OpenGL version string: 3.1 Mesa 18.3.6
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.40
OpenGL context flags: (none)
OpenGL extensions:
OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.0 Mesa 18.3.6
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.00
OpenGL ES profile extensions:

Maybe I missed something, or I broke something trying to get this to work?

Edit: I found this among the systemd journal:

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org.gnome.Shell.desktop[3983]: pci id for fd 11: 8086:9bc8, driver (null)
org.gnome.Shell.desktop[3983]: can't load /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/spa/support/libspa-support.so: /usr/lib/x86_64-li
org.gnome.Shell.desktop[3983]: glamor: 'wl_drm' not supported
org.gnome.Shell.desktop[3983]: Missing Wayland requirements for glamor GBM backend
org.gnome.Shell.desktop[3983]: Failed to initialize glamor, falling back to sw
gnome-shell[3983]: Failed to launch ibus-daemon: Failed to execute child process “ibus-daemon” (No such file or direc

And a bit later, when loading the session:

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(--) PCI:*(0@0:2:0) 8086:9bc8:1458:d000 rev 3, Mem @ 0xb0000000/16777216, 0xa00000
 (II) "glx" will be loaded. This was enabled by default and also specified in the c
(II) LoadModule: "glx"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libglx.so
(II) Module glx: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
         compiled for 1.20.4, module version = 1.0.0
        ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 10.0
(II) LoadModule: "modesetting"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/modesetting_drv.so
(II) Module modesetting: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
         compiled for 1.20.4, module version = 1.20.4
         Module class: X.Org Video Driver
        ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 24.0
 (II) modesetting: Driver for Modesetting Kernel Drivers: kms
(II) modeset(0): using drv /dev/dri/card0
(WW) Falling back to old probe method for modesetting
(WW) VGA arbiter: cannot open kernel arbiter, no multi-card support
 (==) modeset(0): Depth 24, (==) framebuffer bpp 32
 (==) modeset(0): RGB weight 888
 (==) modeset(0): Default visual is TrueColor
 (II) Loading sub module "glamoregl"
(II) LoadModule: "glamoregl"
 (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libglamoregl.so
 (II) Module glamoregl: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
         compiled for 1.20.4, module version = 1.0.1
         ABI class: X.Org ANSI C Emulation, version 0.4
 pci id for fd 12: 8086:9bc8, driver (null)
(II) modeset(0): Refusing to try glamor on llvmpipe
 (EE) modeset(0): glamor initialization failed
(II) modeset(0): ShadowFB: preferred YES, enabled YES
(II) modeset(0): Double-buffered shadow updates: off
broken atomic modeset userspace detected, disabling atomic

[Head_on_a_Stick]

^ Check

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# dmesg | grep firmware

And confirm which firmware packages you have installed.

[m798]

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# dmesg | grep firmware
[    6.311755] r8169 0000:06:00.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware rtl_nic/rtl8168h-2.fw
[    6.655624] i915 0000:00:02.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware i915/kbl_dmc_ver1_04.bin
[    6.656237] [drm] Finished loading DMC firmware i915/kbl_dmc_ver1_04.bin (v1.4)

[Head_on_a_Stick]

installed using openmediavault installation image

^ What does this mean, exactly?

[m798]

installed using openmediavault installation image

^ What does this mean, exactly?

I used an ISO image ftom https://www.openmediavault.org/download.html to make a bootable usb stick for installation of the OS. Openmediavault is based on Debian and is pre-configured to be used as a NAS, making it easier to setup.

[cuckooflew]

In other words, you are not really using Debian, but something else that is "based on" Debian, ? Remove that software, and install Debian, use a official image from Debian.org, https://www.debian.org/distrib/

Post by m798 » 2020-08-05 16:33
I have the exact same issue,---

But it is not the exact same OS, is it ?

[m798]

Oops, I guess you're right. I didn't think of this. Thanks and apologies for hijacking with not exactly the same issue. I'll try to do a fresh install and see if that helps.

[cuckooflew]

Since the same thing is happening, even with a pure Debian, re-installing might not change anything, but at least then is will really be exactly the same.
The Gnome "factor" probably is another topic as well, all though I agree with oswaldkelso .

^ Check

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# dmesg | grep firmware

And confirm which firmware packages you have installed.

If you want, maybe consider still showing us this, and see what H_O_A_S says, they may have "non-free' firmware packages, that are not used in the default Debian install,.. thus making the set-up easier.

Openmediavault is based on Debian and is pre-configured to be used as a NAS, making it easier to setup.

If they do have some kind of support forum, that might be a better option, I suppose that might depend on how long you have been using the Openmediavault, if it is a fresh install, re-installing is no big deal, if it has been your main OS for sometime, be sure to make a copy / backup of everything you want/need to save, eg /home/directory.

[stevepusser]

Take it from me--Intel tenth-generation GPUs also need a newer Mesa, which isn't in backports.
I speak from experience from the AHS edition of MX Linux, which does have its own backports. Or you could ignore this advice--let's get the popcorn and watch.

[m798]

If you want, maybe consider still showing us this

This is what I get :

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# dmesg | grep firmware
[    6.311755] r8169 0000:06:00.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware rtl_nic/rtl8168h-2.fw
[    6.655624] i915 0000:00:02.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware i915/kbl_dmc_ver1_04.bin
[    6.656237] [drm] Finished loading DMC firmware i915/kbl_dmc_ver1_04.bin (v1.4)

Does this seem right?

If they do have some kind of support forum, that might be a better option, I suppose that might depend on how long you have been using the Openmediavault, if it is a fresh install, re-installing is no big deal, if it has been your main OS for sometime, be sure to make a copy / backup of everything you want/need to save, eg /home/directory.

They have a support forum as well. Openmediavault is intended to run headless, so they advise not to install a desktop environment (due to performance and security). They do write that Debian itself is untouched on their website, so the base OS should be the same. There is a guide as well for installation using an official Debian image, so I can follow that and just copy my files and configuration files of packages I added myself.

Take it from me--Intel tenth-generation GPUs also need a newer Mesa, which isn't in backports

Mesa is the OpenGL driver, right? So what is needed to get hardware rendering of OpenGL working? Just out of curiosity, because I'm losing track here. You need:

- Mesa, which is a framework for OpenGL (and other graphics APIs)
--> needs a version with support for your device? Does it include the driver or does it need support for the driver?

- Firmware for your GPU
--> I thought firmware was the software implementation on the hardware device (which can be flashed in some cases). But hearing here it sounds like something loaded in the OS. What does this mean? Does this mean the OS has a piece of software to talk to the firmware in the device? Wouldn't you call that a driver, or is that Windows terminology?

I also read that support for intel iGPUs is integrated in the Linux kernel, so why would I need a separate driver / firmware?

Sorry for the many questions. I can't seem to see the forest for the trees.

Edit: [off-topic] BTW this is my first experience with an open source OS, and I must say I'm really impressed. As a long time Windows / Mac OS user, I've come to realize how restricted those operating systems are and how much more powerful the modular approach of e.g. Debian is, and how much more freedom it gives. Developers of open source software are the unsung heroes of our time . [\off-topic]

[cuckooflew]

The out put of

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# dmesg | grep firmware 

looks ok, someone else maybe can explain more on that,

m798 » Openmediavault is intended to run headless, so they advise not to install a desktop environment (due to performance and security).

I think this is probably good advice, and a major factor.
======edited===found my glasses====

Sorry for the many questions. I can't seem to see the forest for the trees.

That's ok, but yes it does make hard to stay on topic, now the topic is touching on many things, some of these questions could be answered by just using a search engine, EG:

Firmware for your GPU
--> I thought firmware was the software implementation on the hardware device (which can be flashed in some cases). But hearing here it sounds like something loaded in the OS. What does this mean? Does this mean the OS has a piece of software to talk to the firmware in the device? Wouldn't you call that a driver, or is that Windows terminology?

Try various key words:

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 What is the differences between Firmware and Drivers  on Linux 

copy paste into search engine, read the various documentation and explanations.

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Firmware for your GPU 

The same, probably will get good results.
=============
Now, back to the Gnome thing,.. and knowing now your skill/knowledge level is based on MS windows. Gnome used to be a very good DE, but it has become something else, and in my opinion, is no longer of any use, to me, it is not just opinion, it is useless , it can not be used on my old hard ware. Well I suppose it could be, but the performance is so poor, it is not worth the trouble.
A good Window Manager is much more efficient , and quick/easy to install and configure, more about window managers: https://wiki.debian.org/WindowManager
Now , I am not sure about Openmediavault, but with Debian, you can install more then 1 DE, and you can install a Window Manager (WM), as well, or even several,

Gnome shell high CPU usage with Wayland

the topic title,...Gnome is going to all ways have a high CPU usage, even the most advanced users often have problems with that. However I don't want to offend, or get in yet another argument with a few members here , they still promote and try to convince every one that Gnome is great, etc,... even some Debian Developers, seem to think every one should use it, and there fore keep it as the default DE,...
So any way, if you install a WM, I prefer "fluxbox" myself, after trying several, but OpenBox is definitely easier to start out,==== to be continued =====
Edit===
Ok, well to try to be brief, the point is, you could install and try a WM, see if you like it, and it might be use full in the meantime so to speak, you can use it and not worry about heating caused by high CPU, also will have a GUI that you can use while you try to solve the more complex issues that are features of Gnome, and Gnome might be even more problematic on system intended to used/run headless, such as for a server or something,...

[m798]

Thanks a lot! This is very interesting. I've been reading a bit on the topics you mentioned and I get the impression that this is a really deep rabbit hole. I'm experiencing information overload at the moment, so I'll get back to it later . I'll look into the window managers you mentioned. Thanks again.

[stevepusser]

Open source drivers in Linux consist of several parts in different packages, generally called a graphics driver stack. The default Intel driver for modern hardware is in the kernel, and called "modesetting", though there is also an "intel" driver provided by xserver-xorg-video-intel. Mesa must also support the hardware, and Buster's doesn't fully support hardware acceleration for tenth-gen GPUs. These GPUs also require non-free firmware in the firmware-misc-nonfree package, Buster's doesn't support 10th-gen, and I don't think the firmware in buster-backports currently supports it.

I started the AHS project to get MX Linux 19.2 ready for newer hardware, and it works, since Star Labs has approved MX as an optional Linux install on their tenth-generation Intel laptops. Try MX 19.2 AHS from a LiveUSB to confirm this--it costs nothing but a bit of time.

Lacking a newer Mesa in backports, your choice is Debian testing if you want to stick with pure Debian, or something like MX 19.2 AHS which has the required Mesa and firmware preinstalled. I don't know if any other derivatives have a newer Mesa backport.

[pylkko]

Of course, I would add to steve's excellent post that, these newer graphics drivers will eventually come to Debian. So if you wait a really long time, then you will be able to use pure Debian with all of them.