Re: Slow GUI (NVIDIA)(KDE4)

On 05/25/2011 08:45 PM, Jim Beard wrote:
> On 05/25/2011 05:03 PM, Renaud (Ron) Olgiati wrote:
>> On Wednesday 25 May 2011 14:34 my mailbox was graced by a
>> message from Jim
>> Beard who wrote:
>>
>>> Use (on the command line) rpm -qa |grep kernel |sort
>>> to see what you have installed.
>>
>> root@ron:/home/ron # rpm -qa |grep kernel |sort
> Two packages providing firmware support. I would leave them alone.
>> kernel-firmware-20100217-1mnb2
>> kernel-firmware-extra-20100429-2mnb2
>
> Three server kernels. Further on this below.
>> kernel-server-2.6.31.5-1mnb-1-1mnb2
>> kernel-server-2.6.33.7-2mnb-1-1mnb2
>> kernel-server-2.6.36.4-69mib-1-1mib2010.2
>
> Devel packages for only two of your kernels.
>> kernel-server-devel-2.6.33.7-2mnb-1-1mnb2
>> kernel-server-devel-2.6.36.4-69mib-1-1mib2010.2
>
> Two meta packages, that simply require that an update package be
> installed whenever one becomes available.
>> kernel-server-devel-latest-2.6.36.4-69mib2010.2
>> kernel-server-latest-2.6.36.4-69mib2010.2
>
> I'm not sure what this is, so would leave it alone.
>> libkplatokernel7-2.2.2-1mdv2010.1
>
> Nvidia driver packages (compiled binaries included) for only two
> of your kernels.
>> nvidia173-kernel-2.6.31.5-server-1mnb-173.14.20-7mdv2010.0
>> nvidia173-kernel-2.6.33.7-server-2mnb-173.14.25-3mdv2010.1
>
> A "latest" meta package.
>> nvidia173-kernel-server-latest-173.14.25-1.20100921.3mdv2010.1
>
> One nvidia driver package for a different set of nvidia cards,
> plus the meta package, but for only one of your kernels.
>> nvidia96xx-kernel-2.6.33.7-server-2mnb-96.43.16-2mdv2010.1
>> nvidia96xx-kernel-server-latest-96.43.16-1.20100921.2mdv2010.1
>
> "Current" nvidia packages for two of your kernels plus the meta
> package.
>> nvidia-current-kernel-2.6.31.5-server-1mnb-185.18.36-4mdv2010.0
>> nvidia-current-kernel-2.6.33.7-server-2mnb-195.36.24-3mdv2010.1
>> nvidia-current-kernel-server-latest-195.36.24-1.20100921.3mdv2010.1
>>
>>
>> Seems I have far too many...
>
> Three kernels on the system is not a problem. I recommend keeping
> at least one old kernel on the system, just in case an
> update/upgrade brings in an incompatible or flaky kernel. You
> then have a kernel known to be good to revert to. This is more
> important if you enable backports repositories for updates, if
> you use a non-standard kernel (e.g. a tmb kernel), or if you test
> unstable apps or use a beta system.
>
> Running server kernels, though, may be part (or in conjunction
> with other factors all) of your slow GUI problem. Server kernels
> are not tailored to support x-windows or a GUI desktop. (They are
> tailored to serve as servers!). There was a known problem with
> the Mandriva installer a year or two ago, in that it often would
> install a server kernel when it should have installed a desktop
> kernel. If you have more than 4GB RAM on your system, and are
> running the 32-bit OS, you may need the server kernel to make use
> of all your memory. (I vaguely remember something about the
> desktop 586 kernel being able to use 8GB RAM, but if so the
> Mandriva website page on kernel selection has not been updated.)
> 64-bit systems will use all the memory you have, regardless, but
> there are other considerations (e.g. Adobe flash offers only a
> beta version for 64-bit).
>
> If you have 4GB or less of RAM, or if you have 8GB or less and
> are willing to experiment, I would recommend downloading and
> installing the latest stock Mandriva kernel and the latest tmb
> kernel. Keep the kernels you have that work, at least until you
> have two new ones that you have tried and know work. Then delete
> the old ones. (Keep your main kernel and at least one backup).
>
> kernel-desktop-2.6.36.2-2mnb-1-1mnb2
> kernel-desktop-devel-2.6.36.2-2mnb-1-1mnb2
> kernel-desktop-latest-2.6.36.2-2mnb2
>
> kernel-tmb-desktop-2.6.35.8-1mdv-1-1mdv2010.1
> kernel-tmb-desktop-devel-2.6.35.8-1mdv-1-1mdv2010.1
> kernel-tmb-desktop-latest
>
> (kernel-tmb-desktop-latest is not available for 2.6.35.8)
>
> When these two have been installed, boot first to one and then to
> the other and use XFdrake to install the proprietary drivers.
> You may need to use XFdrake only once, with dkms taking over the
> task for the other new kernel.
>
> Looking at the choices in Install Software (Mandriva Linux
> Control Center, all packages gui or non-gui and installed or not
> installed), it appears that nvidia173 is for nvidia GeForce FX
> cards, nvidia96XX is for GF 2/3/4 cards, and nvidia-current is
> for GeForce 6 and later cards. No mention of GeForce 5 cards. :(
>
> Once you have the correct card selected and ask for the
> proprietary driver, XFdrake should automatically download any
> other packages needed. If an nvidia driver package you need is
> not available with precompiled binaries, dkms will compile and
> install the drivers when you reboot.
>
> If you know the specs on your monitor, you might take a look at
> /etc/X11/xorg.conf and see if what XFdrake put in it matches up
> with the monitor you have.

One more addendum.  If you have a 32-bit system but more than 4GB 
RAM, you can enable PAE in the kernel or get a kernel with PAE 
enabled to cope with all the memory.  This webpage looks 
interesting, with copy/paste download and install commands.

http://mib.pianetalinux.org/mib/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2846&p=16020

Bear in mind, nothing is guaranteed with respect to this site.
If your system breaks, you get to keep all the pieces.  Putting 
them back together is your problem...  :)

Other ways to cope may be found by googling for Mandriva server 
desktop kernel pae.

Cheers!

jim b.

-- 
UNIX is not user unfriendly; it merely
      expects users to be computer-friendly.