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Old 02-05-2019, 06:53 PM   #1
tmoble
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video stuttering bad


it's terrible. can't even watch internet vids anymore. sound and video both stutter, but sound alone (spotify) is fine. good internet connection, windows machines on my net not doing this at all.

tom@mint ~ $ inxi -S
System: Host: mint Kernel: 3.16.0-38-generic i686 (32 bit)
Desktop: Cinnamon 2.8.8 Distro: Linux Mint 17.3 Rosa

I updated the kernel to 4.x. didn't fix it. downgraded back to previous kernel 3.16, fixed! two days later it's back, as bad as ever.

this is a quad intel 3.8 GHz with 16 G RAM. I'm using whatever driver Mint installed when I built the machine. It's been a few years ago, I think 3.16 was the original kernel.
-------------------------------------------------
lspci | grep vga returns nothing
-----------------------------------------------
tom@mint ~ $ glxinfo | grep -i vendor
server glx vendor string: SGI
client glx vendor string: Mesa Project and SGI
OpenGL vendor string: Intel Open Source Technology Center
-------------------------------------------------------

lsmod | grep "kms\|drm"
drm_kms_helper 55007 1 i915
drm 255469 7 i915,drm_kms_helper
----------------------------------------------------------

cat /proc/cmdline
BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.16.0-38-generic root=/dev/mapper/mint--vg-root ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
--------------------------------------------------------
$ cat /etc/modprobe.d/*kms*
# modprobe information used for DKMS modules
#
# This is a stub file, should be edited when needed,
# used by default by DKMS.
----------------------------------------------------------
tom@mint ~ $ grep LoadModule /var/log/Xorg.0.log
[ 3.525] (II) LoadModule: "glx"
[ 3.532] (II) LoadModule: "intel"
[ 3.535] (II) LoadModule: "modesetting"
[ 3.536] (II) LoadModule: "fbdev"
[ 3.536] (II) LoadModule: "vesa"
[ 3.542] (II) LoadModule: "fbdevhw"
[ 3.543] (II) LoadModule: "dri2"
[ 3.586] (II) LoadModule: "evdev"

The only odd about this machine that I know is that Mint originally installed as a 32 bit install, although this is a 64 bit hardware.

I use FF 63.0.3 32bit per the info on the help menu. It's nearly a vanilla install, I don't use much extensions, none recent installs.

Anybody got any bright ideas?
 
Old 02-05-2019, 08:03 PM   #2
mrmazda
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Code:
> pastebinit /var/log/Xorg.0.log
so we can see if any clues are presented by the server.
Code:
> inxi -Gxx
will provide some missing hardware and driver info.
Redo your lspci with -i switch or use VGA instead of vga if you want to see what it reports, but inxi will include the relevant parts of it. Better to run inxi from its source, as 17.3 repos probably offer only an ancient version.
Code:
> dmesg -w
running in a small window might show a clue while trying to play a video.
 
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Old 02-05-2019, 09:25 PM   #3
tmoble
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Thank You for taking time. I'll run that stuff, see if anything pops up.
 
Old 02-05-2019, 09:44 PM   #4
tmoble
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early results:

inxi -Gxx
Graphics: Card: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller
bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0412
Display Server: X.Org 1.15.1 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
Resolution: 1920x1080@60.0hz
GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Desktop x86/MMX/SSE2
GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.1.3 Direct Rendering: Yes
 
Old 02-05-2019, 09:55 PM   #5
tmoble
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on my machine dmsg-w returns "dmesg: invalid option -- 'w'" uppercase is the same

unfortunately, my machine doesn't seem to know about pastebinit at all, as root or user.

Gad, it's terrible how much Linux I've forgotten in 6 years. I'll look up pastebinit.
 
Old 02-05-2019, 10:16 PM   #6
mrmazda
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I suppose 17.3 could be old enough that either pastebinit or the -w option to dmesg might be absent, but I doubt it. According to inxi, you are using the old technology intel DDX driver. Newer versions of Xorg than 17.3's provide a new technology DDX driver called modesetting that your Intel Haswell might work better with. In older distros like yours the modesetting driver, if offered at all, will be in a separate package xserver-xorg-video-modesetting. The easiest way to try it is to both install xserver-xorg-video-modesetting and purge xserver-xorg-video-intel, then restart the server or reboot. Whether it can work at all or work better for you can only be determined by trying it. I've been using it with my Haswell, and my other Intels that are supported by it, for over two years.
 
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Old 02-05-2019, 10:45 PM   #7
tmoble
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got pastebin up and running. see https://pastebin.com/wHY58XK2

Thanks again for taking time.
 
Old 02-05-2019, 11:13 PM   #8
mrmazda
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No evidence of trouble that I recognize in your Xorg.0.log. It confirms use of the Intel DDX driver. It also reports use of the cmdline option vt.handoff=7, which is rather old, likely obsolete in current distros, maybe even in 17.3, a carryover from upgrading Mint from an earlier version. I haven't seen it recommended in years. You could try booting without it, using the e key at the Grub menu to edit it away for that one boot, to see if it has any impact. You could also try disabling Plymouth, which is responsible for GUI boot process before the login manager appears. It's been known on occasion to have unwanted lingering aftereffects. Doing so you'll see no splash, and maybe text messages before the greeter. To disable, use the e key at the Grub menu, but append to the line that starts with linux the string plymouth.enable=0 before proceeding to boot.
 
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Old 02-13-2019, 02:29 PM   #9
tmoble
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anybody else want to take a stab at this? It's getting worse getting 1-2 second pauses. Should I just shoot it? throw it in the pool?
 
Old 02-13-2019, 02:46 PM   #10
mrmazda
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tmoble View Post
It's getting worse getting 1-2 second pauses. Should I just shoot it? throw it in the pool?
What resulted from trying my suggestions in post #8? In particular, try the default DDX driver. Do
Code:
sudo apt purge xserver-xorg-video-intel
then restart server or reboot.

Last edited by mrmazda; 02-13-2019 at 02:48 PM.
 
Old 02-14-2019, 11:29 AM   #11
tmoble
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yes, mr mazda, I tried the stuff in #8, but I was too dumb to realize you were suggesting the removal of the intel driver. Sorry for that. But now Ive removed the intel driver via the apt purge command above. an mentioned in the warning box that popped after boot it's now using substantially more processor but it is fixed. I think I'll re-install the intel driver. if it goes to hell again I'll try the aforementioned pool solution. I might be able hit it midair with a 12 ga blast. I'm thinking 00 buck for the trial run. Thanks again mr mazda.

Last edited by tmoble; 02-14-2019 at 11:30 AM.
 
Old 02-14-2019, 11:47 AM   #12
mrmazda
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Sorry, my post #10 left out a step that #6 included. #10 should have been written:
Code:
sudo apt install xserver-xorg-video-modesetting
sudo apt purge xserver-xorg-video-intel
I forgot distros as old as you are using hadn't yet had the modesetting driver incorporated into the server. Do
Code:
inxi -Gxx
again first to be sure. It will probably report fbdev as the current X driver, which would explain "using substantially more processor". The fbdev driver is crude and slow, good mainly for fallback in order to diagnose and repair in GUI mode.

You might benefit more than average from an upgrade to a newer Mint, since the modesetting driver was rather young when 17.3 was released. Also, the year of 17.3 release was the last year xserver-xorg-video-intel had an official release. Since then, it has been in maintenance mode, while most of the Intel driver writers' considerable effort has gone into the modesetting DDX.

BTW, when you paste command output, please use the [#] icon above the input window to wrap your paste in code tags.

Last edited by mrmazda; 02-14-2019 at 11:57 AM.
 
Old 02-14-2019, 12:45 PM   #13
tmoble
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well, I don't know about mode-setting but here is what I did. after removing the intel driver your per instruct, I rebooted and it was fixed less the high CPU usage. So I re-installed the intel driver by re-using your commend for removing, just changed the "purge" to "install". stuff went well came back up and still fixed.

So, apparently, the intel driver got munged somehow, probably never will know how. I'm going with the old "passing cosmic ray" for now. Thank You mr mazda for taking time and having patience while I goofed my way through your instructions. marking as resolved.

Last edited by tmoble; 02-14-2019 at 12:47 PM.
 
Old 02-14-2019, 01:13 PM   #14
tmoble
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is the mode-setting thing worth pursuing? I'm pretty much out of the computer support area now. Got a link to an explanation?

I found something on google, it sez the mode setting drivers can access the kernel and change it's mode. I don't even know what this means or why I'd want to do it. Got a link brief explanation? About all I do with this machine anymore is cruise the web.
 
Old 02-14-2019, 01:15 PM   #15
tmoble
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I do see that with this re-installed intel driver my CPU and memory usage are way down.
 
  


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