[ubuntu-uk] Xorg high CPU usage

[Pete Smout]

On 07/03/12 16:43, Pete Smout wrote:
> On 07/03/12 11:46, Neil Greenwood wrote:
>> On Mar 7, 2012 10:50 AM, "Grant Phillips-Sewell"
>> <dcglug at cornwall-it.co.uk
>> <mailto:dcglug at cornwall-it.co.uk>> wrote:
>> >
>> > On Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:45:23 +0000
>> > Pete Smout wrote:
>> >
>> > > On 06/03/12 18:15, Grant Phillips-Sewell wrote:
>> > > > On Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:07:08 +0000
>> > > > Pete Smout wrote:
>> > > >
>> > > >> On 05/03/12 21:10, Pete Smout wrote:
>> > > >>> Hi,
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> For about a week now my laptop (ubuntu 10.04 LTS fully updated)
>> > > >>> has been freezing up for approx 30 secs, with gkrellm and top
>> > > >>> showing xorg using 100% cpu usage?
>> > > >>> There seems to be no pattern to what programs I am using,
>> > > >>> everything from open office to clementine to smplayer or
>> > > >>> thunderbird, not at any certain time of day or day of the week,
>> > > >>> or even weather using the inbuilt screen or external one.
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> My understanding (admittedly limited) is that xorg is the bit
>> that
>> > > >>> works the display (screen). Has anyone else come across this?
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> For reference the laptop specs are:
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> Acer Aspire 5720
>> > > >>> Intel T5250 Dual core processor
>> > > >>> Ram 2.0 gb
>> > > >>> Internal graphics (intel)
>> > > >>> Internal sound (intel)
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> Thanks in advance for any ideas
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> Regards
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> Pete
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>>
>> > > >> just for reference my xorg.conf:
>> > > >>
>> > > >> Section "Device"
>> > > >> Identifier "Configured Video Device"
>> > > >> Driver "fbdev"
>> > > >> EndSection
>> > > >
>> > > > Might want to look into that bit.
>> > > >
>> > > > You should have a specific Xorg "driver" for your onboard Intel
>> > > > graphics chip.
>> > > >
>> > > > Run the following command to find out your graphics chip:
>> > > > lspci
>> > > >
>> > > > Look for the line that has VGA on it.
>> > > >
>> > > > If it does indeed say something about an Intel chip, then make sure
>> > > > you have the following package installed:
>> > > > xserver-xorg-video-intel
>> > > >
>> > > > (That package deals with all i8xx and i9xx chips)
>> > > >
>> > > > Once that's installed, remove the xorg.conf file and restart X.
>> > > >
>> > > > You can restart X by going to a terminal (NOT a terminal window...
>> > > > press CTRL+ALT+F2 and log in) and then run:
>> > > > sudo service lightdm restart
>> > > >
>> > > > (Or just reboot... up to you.)
>> > > >
>> > > > Grant.
>> > > >
>> > > Hi Grant,
>> > >
>> > > Thanks for your reply, the lspci command produces (relevant lines
>> > > only I hope)
>> > >
>> > > 00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile
>> > > GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
>> > > 00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960
>> > > Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
>> > >
>> > > Synaptic shows xserver-xorg-video-intel is installed (reinstalled for
>> > > good measure) moved the xorg.conf file to my documents folder and
>> > > rebooted, opened t-bird to reply to you and the machine 'greyed out'
>> > > for approx 20 secs with gkrellm showing xorg as using 100% CPU!
>> > > Please note that last time it happened was with clementine running,
>> > > when playback stopped mid song so I cannot blame t-bird!
>> > >
>> > > As an aside but possibly related?! when I open a tty shell
>> > > (ctrl-alt-f1) log in it tells me 'Your CPU appears to be lacking
>> > > expected security protections. Please check your BIOS settings, for
>> > > more information please run /usr/bin/check-bios-nx --verbose which
>> > > produces
>> > >
>> > > smouty at smouty-laptop:~$ /usr/bin/check-bios-nx --verbose
>> > > This CPU is family 6, model 15, and has NX capabilities but is unable
>> > > to use these protective features because the BIOS is configured to
>> > > disable the capability. Please enable this in your BIOS. For more
>> > > details, see: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Security/CPUFeatures
>> > >
>> > > I am unable to find any related settings in BIOS, if this is
>> > > unrelated to my original question please ignore it and I will do
>> > > further research
>> > >
>> > > Regards
>> > >
>> > > Pete
>> >
>> > Hi Pete,
>> >
>> > That is interesting, about your CPU security extensions, but I do not
>> > believe it is related to this.
>> >
>> > Your original post showed that your xorg.conf file was using "fbdev" as
>> > the graphics driver - this *should* work on most machines and so it is
>> > useful as a "fall back" if all else fails. The fbdev driver means that
>> > the CPU is doing all the graphics donkey-work rather than the GPU.
>> >
>> > Essentially all I suggested was that you ensure you have the correct
>> > xorg driver available (which you do) and you (re)move the xorg.conf
>> > file so that xorg regenerates it (or creates on on-the-fly) when you
>> > reboot... which you've done.
>> >
>> > It is still entirely possible that xorg is still using fbdev, so you
>> > may want to re-instate your xorg.conf file but edit the "fbdev" entry
>> > to say "intel" instead.
>
> Thanks trying that, so far so good no issues to report!
>
>> > Essentially, as I understand it, if there is an xorg.conf file present
>> > then XOrg will use it; if there is no xorg.conf file then XOrg will try
>> > to detect what's going on and make up a configuration on-the-fly.
>> >
>> > Since the on-the-fly thing doesn't seem to be working for you, let's
>> > try *making* it use the Intel driver by having an xorg.conf file that
>> > specifies to use the Intel driver and nothing else.
>> >
>> > I hope that makes sense.
>> >
>> > Grant.
>>
>> As well as the xorg.conf file, there is also the
>> /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/ directory that should be checked to see if
>> it has an override for the auto generated file.
>>
>> Neil.
>>
>> P.S. Sorry for the brevity, this is typed on my phone.
>>
>
> I am unable to locate /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d directory see terminal
> output:
>
> smouty at smouty-laptop:~$ cd /usr/share/X11
> smouty at smouty-laptop:/usr/share/X11$ ls
> locale rgb.txt XErrorDB xkb XKeysymDB xman.help
> smouty at smouty-laptop:/usr/share/X11$
>
> Although this has found (for me at least) XErrorDB which shows lots of
> errors far too numerous to list here (will put in pastebin if needed),
> but the file name to me suggests that it is the Data Base of all
> possible errors as there is no time / date next to the output.
>
> Regards
>
> Pete
>
>
Hi,

Spoke too soon, just happened again this time firefox, oh well keep 
looking I spose.

Regards

Pete