[ubuntu-uk] Xorg high CPU usage

[Pete Smout]

On 07/03/12 17:03, Pete Smout wrote:
> 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
>
>
Hi,

I have had no luck with this issue, I am now certainly running the intel 
driver as far as I can tell. None of the x logs viewed in 'Log File 
Viewer' tell me anything I can understand or see as an obvious error, 
and I am now at a loss of where to look next!

Any ideas anyone?

Regards

Pete