Slackware 12.1 and OpenOffice.org 2.4.0 problem

slackuser999 · 06-09-2008, 10:49 AM

- I've prepared documents in OpenOffice.org 2.4.0 Draw on Slackware 12.0. All was well. I just upgraded to Slackware 12.1. Now most (not all) of the Draw documents, I've tried to open, hang OpenOffice when I open them. Some documents have been successfully opened with several versions of OpenOffice.org (2.2, 2.3 and 2.4) and several versions of Slackware (10.x, 11 and 12.0).
- When an OpenOffice Draw document hang's, "top" and "ps" indicate that OpenOffice is still running OK. However, the OpenOffice drawing window frame appears and sometimes I get a tool bar and no drawing contents, and sometimes I don't get neither the tool bar nor contents.
- I've tried using OpenOffice from both OpenOffice.org itself and the Slackware (12.0) version from linuxpackages.net. Both malfunction the same way.
- I've seen two possible clues. First, there are complaints about Slackware 12.1 and video presumed due to async Xlibs. Second, according to "ps" OpenOffice is multi-threaded. Firefox, Thunderbird and Sunbird are also multi-threaded and all three are running noticeably slower on Slackware 12.1 versus Slackware 12.0.
- I've not yet seen any issues with OpenOffice.org Writer, Calc, Impress or Base and Slackware 12.1.
- Has anyone seen this and knows the solution. I'm heavily dependent on OpenOffice at work. I'd have to consider downgrading back to Slackware 12.0 if a fix isn't found soon. I'd appreciate any help. Thanks.

slackuser999 · 06-09-2008, 12:05 PM

- Debugging update
- This issue appears to be related to X. Watching "top" closely shows that "X" goes to 99.1% CPU utilization during the time OpenOffice.org Draw hangs. If I wait until "X" goes back to low utilization, then wait a little longer, the "bad" documents appear and can be worked with.

Alien Bob · 06-09-2008, 12:15 PM

Did you install an X driver specifically supporting your graphics card, or are you still using the default VESA driver?

Eric

slackuser999 · 06-09-2008, 04:37 PM

- To answer Alien Bob; at the end of upgrading to 12.1, I ran "Xorg -configure" to update the xorg.conf file. This resulted in the intel driver for the 845G chipset being put in the xorg.conf file.
- I tried the VESA driver and found the problem disappeared. However the VESA driver has a lower max. resolution than the Intel driver.
- I found the answer in a Gentoo thread about problems with the i945GM chipset.
- The solution, for my Slackware 12.1 install, is as follows. On a Dell GX260 with Intel Corporation 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset:

#####
Step 1:

Add the following "Option ..." lines to the "Device" section of the xorg.conf file
Option "AccelMethod" "EXA",
Option "ExaNoComposite" "false",
Option "MigrationHeuristic" "greedy"

for example (partial xorg.conf):

. . .

Code:

Section "Device"
        Option      "AccelMethod"           "EXA"
        Option      "ExaNoComposite"     "false"
        Option      "MigrationHeuristic"   "greedy"
        Identifier  "Card0"
        Driver      "intel"
        VendorName  "Intel Corporation"
        BoardName   "82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated Graphics Device"
        BusID       "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection

. . .

#####
Step 2:

Create an environmental variable file in /etc/profiles.d/ as file intel.sh:

Code:

#!/bin/sh -
#
export INTEL_BATCH=1
#
# End of intel.sh in /etc/profile.d/

##### Done

I don't know that both steps, or all three options are necessary. However, the listed changes work, and I'm satisfied. Thanks Alien Bob for the input.