Workspace switching is slow

abraham · 2025-01-12 15:32:33

Hello!

Short story:

After OS update, workspace switching became slow (about 1 second delay).

Long story:

Running EndeavourOS (Arch Linux). I've made a delayed update (not updating since ~2 months) and now I'm getting several desktop problems.

Firstly, my wallpapers settings appeared modified. My attempts to restore them with GUI were silently ignored. Similar recent thread.

I looked into xml configuration file (~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-desktop.xml). It's content seemed suspicious: it had multiple <monitor> sections, while I only have one physical monitor. Each <monitor> section contained duplicated settings, for each of my 11 (yeah) workspaces. I experimented with manual editing of the file. Such as removing superfluous <monitor> sections, or settings background to solid color. This eventually solved the wallpaper problem (required reboot after each edit).

Finally, the worst post-update symptom: workspace switching became slow. The more windows are open on all workspaces, the longer is the delay.

Another symptom: taskbar icon sizes became larger. But that's acceptable.

ToZ · 2025-01-12 20:13:10

Can you post a screenshot of the xfce4-about window? Upload it to an image hosting site of your preference and post the link back.

Workspace switching is slow
Do you use a wallpaper, or separate wallpapers per workspace? If so, in Desktop Settings, set the Color field to "Transparent" (even if you are not using color. There is currently a bug report about this.

If this doesn't help, what video card and driver are you using?

Another symptom: taskbar icon sizes became larger.

Which icons? In the Panel Preferences, there is an option to set icon size.

abraham · 2025-01-12 22:38:06

Can you post a screenshot of the xfce4-about window?

https://imgur.com/qtrGptP

Do you use a wallpaper, or separate wallpapers per workspace?

Before the OS update, I used a single wallpaper, same for all workspaces. But currently, it's set to solid color (Color = Solid Color, Style = None).

set the Color field to "Transparent" (even if you are not using color. There is currently a bug report about this.

I did as you said, and It had no effect on the workspace switching delay.

Which icons? In the Panel Preferences, there is an option to set icon size.

I mean icons displayed on the "Windows Buttons" panel item.

ToZ · 2025-01-13 02:24:33

Which video card is that (NVE7) and which video driver are you using?

Can you pot back:

xfconf-query -c xfwm4 -lv

Can you go back to setting a single wallpaper (with Color field set to transparent) and see if the delay improves?

abraham · 2025-01-13 12:27:06

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GK107 [GeForce GTX 650] (rev a1)
Kernel driver in use: nouveau
Kernel modules: nouveau

/general/activate_action                 none
/general/borderless_maximize             true
/general/box_move                        false
/general/box_resize                      false
/general/button_layout                   O|HMC
/general/button_offset                   0
/general/button_spacing                  0
/general/click_to_focus                  true
/general/cycle_apps_only                 false
/general/cycle_draw_frame                true
/general/cycle_hidden                    true
/general/cycle_minimized                 false
/general/cycle_minimum                   true
/general/cycle_preview                   false
/general/cycle_raise                     false
/general/cycle_tabwin_mode               0
/general/cycle_workspaces                false
/general/double_click_action             fill
/general/double_click_distance           5
/general/double_click_time               250
/general/easy_click                      None
/general/focus_delay                     250
/general/focus_hint                      true
/general/focus_new                       true
/general/frame_border_top                0
/general/frame_opacity                   96
/general/full_width_title                true
/general/horiz_scroll_opacity            false
/general/inactive_opacity                100
/general/maximized_offset                0
/general/mousewheel_rollup               false
/general/move_opacity                    51
/general/placement_mode                  center
/general/placement_ratio                 20
/general/popup_opacity                   97
/general/prevent_focus_stealing          false
/general/raise_delay                     250
/general/raise_on_click                  true
/general/raise_on_focus                  false
/general/raise_with_any_button           true
/general/repeat_urgent_blink             false
/general/resize_opacity                  93
/general/scroll_workspaces               false
/general/shadow_delta_height             0
/general/shadow_delta_width              0
/general/shadow_delta_x                  0
/general/shadow_delta_y                  -3
/general/shadow_opacity                  50
/general/show_app_icon                   false
/general/show_dock_shadow                false
/general/show_frame_shadow               true
/general/show_popup_shadow               false
/general/snap_resist                     false
/general/snap_to_border                  true
/general/snap_to_windows                 false
/general/snap_width                      16
/general/theme                           Gelly
/general/tile_on_move                    true
/general/title_alignment                 left
/general/title_font                      Cantarell 11
/general/title_horizontal_offset         0
/general/titleless_maximize              false
/general/title_shadow_active             false
/general/title_shadow_inactive           false
/general/title_vertical_offset_active    0
/general/title_vertical_offset_inactive  0
/general/toggle_workspaces               false
/general/unredirect_overlays             true
/general/urgent_blink                    false
/general/use_compositing                 true
/general/vblank_mode                     auto
/general/workspace_count                 11
/general/workspace_names                 [workspace 1,workspace 2,workspace 3,workspace 4,Workspace 5,Workspace 6,Workspace 7,Workspace 8,Workspace 9,Workspace 10,Workspace 11]
/general/wrap_cycle                      true
/general/wrap_layout                     false
/general/wrap_resistance                 15
/general/wrap_windows                    false
/general/wrap_workspaces                 false
/general/zoom_desktop                    true
/general/zoom_pointer                    true

ToZ wrote:

Can you go back to setting a single wallpaper (with Color field set to transparent) and see if the delay improves?

I did it, and there was no improvement.

ToZ · 2025-01-13 13:54:32

Can you try changing the vblank mode and test to see if there is any improvement. It is currently set to "auto", but can you try each of the following one at a time and test to see if there is a difference in speed?

xfconf-query -c xfwm4 -p /general/vblank_mode -s off

xfconf-query -c xfwm4 -p /general/vblank_mode -s glx

xfconf-query -c xfwm4 -p /general/vblank_mode -s xpresent

To reset it to auto, use:

xfconf-query -c xfwm4 -p /general/vblank_mode -s auto

abraham · 2025-01-13 14:33:35

It had no effects.

BTW, I did a little "stress test": I spammed workspace switch using keyboard shortcut, much faster than it can handle (with the current delay). CPU usage graph in Task Manager recorded 100% usage plateau of 1 core, during spam.

One time after such stress test, the terminal stopped receiving keyboard & mouse input. Same for newly opened terminal. Browser and panels partially worked. This persisted until logging off.

ToZ · 2025-01-13 17:19:54

Perhaps a bug report is the next step. BTW, I'm not seeing this delay so I wonder if its related to your video driver.

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#1 2025-01-12 15:32:33

Workspace switching is slow

#2 2025-01-12 20:13:10

Re: Workspace switching is slow

#3 2025-01-12 22:38:06

Re: Workspace switching is slow

#4 2025-01-13 02:24:33

Re: Workspace switching is slow

#5 2025-01-13 12:27:06

Re: Workspace switching is slow

#6 2025-01-13 13:54:32

Re: Workspace switching is slow

#7 2025-01-13 14:33:35

Re: Workspace switching is slow

#8 2025-01-13 17:19:54

Re: Workspace switching is slow

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