Xfce Forum

graemev

Member

Registered: 2021-08-06

Posts: 11

100% CPU with xfce 4.16 and x2go

I have a number of "server" boxes and access these via x2go, from a Intel NUC running KDE.

In the "sever boxes" I use XFCE as the desktop. I'm in the process of migration,

Old box, runs Debian  Stretch so, xfce 4.12.3
New box runs Debian Bullseye, so xfce 4.16

I use XFCE on the servers because KDE, Gnome etc really don't play well with x2go (oh for the days XDMCP :-) )  however NOW I find XFCE suffers the same fate, the x2gosever runs at 100% CPU and the system is all but unusable.

Following this post:  https://bugs.gentoo.org/771747

I made the following edit:

$ diff ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfwm4.xml.orig ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfwm4.xml
75c75
<     <property name="use_compositing" type="bool" value="true"/>
---
>     <property name="use_compositing" type="bool" value="false"/>

And now the x2goserver is down an a couple of percent and the system is again usable.

My guess is the devs may want to take this up with x2go .... or possibly XFCE should detect the situation (running under x2go) and change the option ...or maybe something is just broke?  :-)

alcornoqui

Member

Registered: 2014-07-28

Posts: 832

Re: 100% CPU with xfce 4.16 and x2go

Yes, there's an open issue here: https://gitlab.xfce.org/xfce/xfwm4/-/issues/551

Someone added a note to the X2Go wiki to reflect the current situation.

graemev

Member

Registered: 2021-08-06

Posts: 11

Re: 100% CPU with xfce 4.16 and x2go

OK, just installed bookworm, it's now 2 years later (Apr 2024) and the bug is still present. And the workaround still needed.

graemev

Member

Registered: 2021-08-06

Posts: 11

Re: 100% CPU with xfce 4.16 and x2go

Yes, there's an open issue here: https://gitlab.xfce.org/xfce/xfwm4/-/issues/551

Someone added a note to the X2Go wiki to reflect the current situation.

It suggest xfce as a "compatible" solution, but the mentions this bug in passing .. i.e . XFCE is one of the better desktops to use (even with this bug)

... so this "issue" is not this bug.

gogogadget

Member

Registered: 2023-03-19

Posts: 17

Re: 100% CPU with xfce 4.16 and x2go

Hello,

it's now 2 years later (Apr 2024) and the bug is still present..

Did you try with another compositor like Picom ?

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Xfce+gtk3-classic (no CSD)+Picom

graemev

Member

Registered: 2021-08-06

Posts: 11

Re: 100% CPU with xfce 4.16 and x2go

Hello,

Did you try with another compositor like Picom ?

Sorry, you've got me there. I installed a new (server) machine with bookworm and when I connected to it, it went into a 100% spin as before. The "workaround" is to make the above edit. I'm not sure what a compositor is or why I would want one? Did I miss some advice in one of the above links?

gogogadget

Member

Registered: 2023-03-19

Posts: 17

Re: 100% CPU with xfce 4.16 and x2go

The "workaround" is to make the above edit. I'm not sure what a compositor is or why I would want one? Did I miss some advice in one of the above links?

According to your first post, you switched the use of compositing from true to false :

<property name="use_compositing" type="bool" value="false"/>

which is, I think, the same as uncheck the "Enable display compositing" option in  the Window Manager Tweaks.

Since you disabled the default/internal compositor, I was wondering if the problem would occur with an external one (Picom).

edit: the compositor is the software that manage graphical effects on your windows, such as transparency, shadows,  or blur.

Last edited by gogogadget (2024-04-08 11:53:18)

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Xfce+gtk3-classic (no CSD)+Picom