OpenOffice client freeze on print figured out (and other app freezes)

[Jim McQuillan]

Jim Kronebusch wrote:

-- snipped --

>           EndSection
> 
>       Option "XaaNoOffscreenPixmaps"
>              Disables accelerated draws  into  pixmaps  stored  in  offscreen
>              video memory.

This 'offscreen video memory' refers to memory on the graphics card. 
NOT the system memory.

Enabling or disabling this would only work for cards that have extra 
ram, and it would have NO affect on the problem that you've been talking 
about for a couple of weeks here.

As for your comment about thinking this is an Xorg problem.  I sort of 
agree/disagree.

I think it's a problem in the interface BETWEEN the Xserver and the 
Xclients.

The Xserver needs to be able to refuse requests for pixmap allocation, 
and the Xclients need to pay attention to that refusal and gracefully 
handle it.   Right now, we are limiting pixmap allocation by setting 
X_RAMPERC.  the problem is, the Xclients die a horrible death when they 
don't get what they want from the Xserver.

Firefox is requesting the Pixmap caching so that when you move from page 
to page, you don't have to wait for the graphic images to get sent to 
the Xserver. They'd already be there.  Konquerer and Opera don't do 
that, and the performance doesn't seem to suffer.  I think that the 
Firefox guys just need to add an option to NOT try to send the images 
ahead of time, and to request removal of the pixmaps as early as 
possible. (Like when you move from one page to the next).

As for OpenOffice using the Xserver as a cache for print jobs.... that 
just seems really strange.


Jim McQuillan
jam at Ltsp.org