KDE4 slow

[Jos Poortvliet]

On Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 2:55 AM, Iñaki Baz Castillo<ibc at aliax.net> wrote:
> Hi, I've been using KDE4 for long time in the same host in which before I used
> KDE3 (just a difference: before I used KDE3 32bits and now I use KDE4 64
> bits).
>
> Exactly the same configuration, exactly the same apps open most of the time.
> I use Kubuntu (Intrepid in KDE3 and Jaunty in KDE4).
>
>
> While KDE4 is a great improvement in usability, ellegance and features, it's
> definitively slowe (IMHO)r. For example:
>
> - The new Kmenu is terribly slower than the classic one (using both in KDE4).
> It takes ~0.5 seconds to appear after clicking it.
>
> - Switching off the computer is exasperating. After clicking "Shutdown":
>  - It takes 3-5 seconds until the confirmation window appears (so the
>    background becomes dark).
>  - After confirming it, the background is displayed again as usual (no
>    indication at all that the system is being halted during 6-10 seconds).
>  - After it, some windows start dissapearing.
>  - The whole screen gets grey during 1-2 seconds.
>  - The KDE session finally ends.
>
> - Opening any app (i.e. Konqueror) takes 2-3 times longer than in KDE3 (same
> configuration about preloading and so).
>
> - Openining any application window (compose a new mail in Kmail, open a chat
> window in Kopete...) takes ~1 second, and the window appears gray during 1
> second until it gets rendered.
>
> - Clicking any system-try icon takes 0.5-1 second to display the context menu
> or the mini-app (Kmix global volume slider).
>
> - Pressing ALT+F2 takes longer than in KDE3.
>
>
> Perhaps my host (AMD64 Turion x2 1600 MHz) has no enough RAM (1 GB), but I
> don't see too much issues in the used RAM:
>
> ~$ free -m
>             total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
> Mem:           988        888        100          0         66        173
> -/+ buffers/cache:        648        340
> Swap:         1698          0       1698
>
>
>
> KEE4 stability is really reasonable (being still a beta version), it's enough
> to work with it daily. But the speed it provides makes it hard to work. It
> doesn't react immediately to the user actions.
>
>
> Please take my comment as constructive as possible.
> However, is it an admited issue? is it a common feeling from KDE4 users?
> And on top of all: can it be improved? is there aim in making it just faster?

I personally feel you are right in that speed has decreased quite a
bit in the switch between KDE 3 and KDE 4. Part of that might indeed
be attributable to video drivers (KDE 4 uses much more advanced
drawing) but imho compositing is NOT the issue. As Alvaro said the
price of progress might play a role as well, but I think it's mostly
because there still is a lot of work in terms of optimizing left.

You mention the alt-F2 menu - it's slow for me too. And I hate that.
Another thing is konqi - I have it preloaded and linked to a special
button on my keyboard. In KDE 3 it used to start instantaneously,
these days it can easily take up to ten (!) seconds...

You can use the kstartperf tool to measure app startup time. Eg konqi
gives me 11 sec (!) on first startup, 1.25 sec if I launch it right
after that first start. Dragonplayer (the 'simple' videoplayer) takes
a solid 5 seconds the first time and 1.3 the second time. Most apps
take quite long, kcalc however can still start in less than 0.5 sec
here ;-)

> Thanks a lot and best regards.
>
>
> --
> Iñaki Baz Castillo <ibc at aliax.net>
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