Updates From Unstable

Please note that the below mentioned commands should only be run if you are willing to test packages from the unstable repository. These changes are a WIP, may be reverted, and may result in unexpected instability. That being said, our best way of finding out if the fixes actually...well fix things, is for people to test before we opt to sync (or not). Please report if it improves, degrades, or doesn't change your performance.

Some testing alongside @Scotty-Trees reports that the branding package updates should be the primary factor for performance fixes under GNOME. I'd like to thank him for working with me on identifying and testing the fixes.

This issue may also affect some individuals not getting to the login screen if they're using GDM.

Regardless of the command use, please reboot after you install the respective packages.

Budgie

If you are using Budgie, you are likely going to need to install specific branding sub-packages, so please do not immediately run the below mentioned command:

sudo eopkg install https://packages.getsol.us/unstable/m/mutter/mutter-3.32.1-48-1-x86_64.eopkg
Branding

You should run eopkg li | grep 'budgie-desktop-branding' to get a list of Budgie desktop branding packages you have installed. Please append (add to the end) of the above command (which specifies to install mutter), the following eopkg links depending on what you have installed. You may need to specify multiple:

If you are using Budgie with GDM (you'd know because you'd also have GNOME Shell installed), see the GNOME section too.

GNOME

If you are using GNOME Shell (or co-installed with Budgie, in which case just append the eopkgs listed below, eliminating duplicates), run the following command after adding the branding packages (listed in the branding section below)

sudo eopkg install https://packages.getsol.us/unstable/m/mutter/mutter-3.32.1-48-1-x86_64.eopkg https://packages.getsol.us/unstable/g/gdm/gdm-3.32.0-45-1-x86_64.eopkg https://packages.getsol.us/unstable/g/gnome-shell/gnome-shell-3.32.1-42-1-x86_64.eopkg
Branding

You should run eopkg li | grep 'gnome-desktop-branding' to get a list of GNOME desktop branding packages you have installed. Please append (add to the end) of the above command, the following eopkg links depending on what you have installed. You may need to specify multiple:

Changes

  • Budgie Desktop Branding: We're now exporting __GL_MaxFramesAllowed=1 in a new dedicated profile.d file. See this commit and reference bug report here.
  • GDM: Test GDM load failures by disabling Wayland support (this has always been deemed experimental, we need to disable it here because it breaks X11 fallback) and swapping to VT1 (despite it being a CLI VT, it's what GDM defaults to for some reason). I was able to reproduce in my local testing the issue with it loading GDM but not switching to VT7 to actually show it. Reference Commit
  • GNOME Desktop Branding: We're now exporting __GL_MaxFramesAllowed=1 in a new dedicated profile.d file. See this commit
  • GNOME Shell: Add various St patches to reduce style-changed calls. These patches are currently in the master branch of GNOME Shell as opposed to gnome-3-32 and should reduce style-changed calls by several hundred (estimated from 700 to 110) as reported in this merge request. This commit also includes follow-up patches to that MR which should alleviate some of the concerns around patch reverting. Reference Commit.
  • Mutter: Backported various patches that are in the gnome-3-32 branch but not yet in a point release. Reference Commit
    • compositor: Destroy window actors list on destruction
      • When the compositor is destroyed we should cleanup the list of window actors we created and destroy them.
      • Destroying the window actors instead, ensures we avoid any further call to X11 related functions and that we release the actors XServer resources.
    • compositor: Disconnect from stage signals on destruction
      • From this point there's not any need for the compositor to listen to signals so we can disconnect from the stage ones we are connected to.
    • backends: Fallback to builtin panel for devices where all heuristics fail

Note

For those on the stable repo that do not wish to test these, do note that once these are synced, you just need to upgrade. You will not need to manually install any eopkgs.

Tagging Affected Users

@Scotty-Trees @Nibb31 @nodq @scramble45 @triengage @ReillyBrogan @beerminer

    Just a minor observation so far. After the update, and subsequent reboot, my network manager applet icon stopped showing the wifi signal strength, when I hover the mouse over it. Running Budgie on Solus 4.0
    Tx

    JoshStrobl I tried the fix and installed the unstable mutter, budgie-desktop-branding, and budgie-desktop-branding-fortitude packages. It seems to have fixed the freezes and CPU spikes.
    Great job !

        Nibb31 That's great to hear! Once again, I apologize that you ran into this in the first place. I'm still waiting for people to test GDM, GNOME Shell, and GNOME Desktop Branding before I sync, but you should expect these updates to be synced into stable today.

            JoshStrobl

            Ok that seems to work now. I no longer need to manually enable and start gdm service on bootup. It just did not boot to the login screen whereas lightdm did tho.

            gdm status still gives some errors.

            ● gdm.service - GNOME Display Manager
            Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/gdm.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
            Active: active (running) since Sat 2019-05-04 18:31:02 CEST; 3min 51s ago
            Main PID: 1013 (gdm)
            Tasks: 7 (limit: 4915)
            Memory: 13.2M
            CGroup: /system.slice/gdm.service
            ├─1013 /usr/sbin/gdm
            └─2018 /usr/bin/gnome-keyring-daemon --daemonize --login

            May 04 18:31:02 solus systemd[1]: Started GNOME Display Manager.
            May 04 18:31:03 solus gdm-launch-environment][1092]: accountsservice: Could not get current seat: No data available
            May 04 18:31:09 solus gdm-password][1413]: accountsservice: Could not get current seat: No data available
            May 04 18:31:11 solus gdm-password][1413]: gkr-pam: unable to locate daemon control file
            May 04 18:31:11 solus gdm-password][1413]: pam_unix(gdm-password:session): session opened for user nodq by (uid=0)
            May 04 18:31:11 solus gdm-password][1413]: gkr-pam: unable to locate daemon control file
            May 04 18:31:29 solus gdm-password][2009]: accountsservice: Could not get current seat: No data available
            May 04 18:32:04 solus gdm-password][2009]: gkr-pam: unable to locate daemon control file
            May 04 18:32:04 solus gdm-password][2009]: pam_unix(gdm-password:session): session opened for user nodq by (uid=0)
            May 04 18:32:04 solus gdm-password][2009]: gkr-pam: unable to locate daemon control file

                nodq It just did not boot to the login screen whereas lightdm did tho.

                Could you clarify what you mean? How did it work yet simultaneously not perform it's primary function? In terms of your other issues, those are "normal" (gkr-pam daemon control file), but I'll have @DataDrake tinker with PAM when he has some free time.

                I narrowed down the issue with the Wayland support in GDM, which I've disabled, likely permanently (sorry those that for some reason want to use Wayland, it's literally breaking the desktop for everyone else so it's getting the boot). In my testing, setting it to VT7 with disabled Wayland support still allowed my reproduced GDM install to function. I researched what other OSes are doing and most of them are keeping the odd VT1 default, with some exceptions (namely openSUSE and NixOS, neither of which are really of any consequence tbh).

                • nodq replied to this.

                    JoshStrobl
                    Dear Josh. I don't like it when you apologize for anything. You work like a crazy horse to make Solus better and better, nearly every day. All the new updates for years are perfect. So now, after 1.000.000 updates things seems to go wrong. Just a pity. If that's all? Perhaps next time it will be, as allways, perfect. We will see. So chear up. No apologies, keep up the good work.
                    I know people that do not make mistakes. Most of their time they also do nothing at all.

                    Evert.

                        JoshStrobl

                        I used gdm and gnome-shell then after the update, my system would not boot into the login screen. Just to the terminal. So I logged in and removed gdm and gnome-shell and re-installed lightdm. Then rebooted again, and it went to the login screen (graphical one not the terminal ). And logged into Budgie. Worked fine.

                        Later on, I tested it and re-installed gdm and gnome-shell and removed lightdm again. Same issue, booted to terminal but not the graphical/UI login screen. So I had to

                        sudo systemctl restart gdm

                        Then the graphical login screen started an I could login on gnome or Budgie.

                            nodq Right but did you follow my earlier instructions that you were tagged in with the various package installs and get the ones from unstable that have the fixes? The package updates have not been pushed to stable yet.

                            • nodq replied to this.

                                JoshStrobl

                                Yes yes as I said, this works now. I did apply those fixes already. It works. Sorry for not being clear. Still kinda sleeping lol

                                    nodq No problem. I'm just really wanting to be sure this is addressed. So just to have complete clarity regarding the situation now, with a simple yes or no answer 😃

                                    Question: With the recommended updates in unstable currently, can you boot up your system, reach the login screen, and login via GDM with no user intervention?

                                    • nodq replied to this.

                                        @nodq Yay, that's what I like to hear! (The "yes" part, not the "sir" part, I'm just Josh not sir 😛).

                                        I'll get this stuff synced to stable.

                                        New Solus Gnome user. My first big update since installing. I'm in total awe with your ability to respond and attend to the issues re the transition to 3.32. You guys are ridiculously good and dedicated. I was affected by the gnome-shell issue which I spotted on gitlab but did not think it was even worth reporting since it is basically upstream... The latest sync solved the issue afaik 😁

                                        I'm left with one very minor problem : the app menu in the top bar (disabled by default in Solus but can switched on in tweaks) does not activate anymore - I know this app menu was revamped in 3.32 so maybe it's related to that, but it works ok in other distros... It serves basically no purpose except telling you the app in focus, which i happen to like 😀. Any help would be appreciated.

                                        You guys rock, thanks !

                                          axelmeunier Regarding the AppMenu, it was forced on by GNOME Shell with no option for vendors to disable it, so I had to temporarily patch it out. This is actually quite ironic because the vast majority of GNOME app updates in the 3.32 series were to remove support for it and move that functionality into the headerbar.

                                          I'm sorry if that inconveniences you any, should a viable solution arise that doesn't require me to patch out the AppMenu completely, I'll implement the solution and ensure AppMenu is off by default (as it was with GNOME 3.28).

                                              After update cant open Grub Customizer do i need to reinstall ? SOLUS Budgie user.

                                                viyoriya

                                                do i need to reinstall ?

                                                No, but I can't fix the issue unless you provide me some logs. Can you run it from the Terminal and see if it's just missing something (possibly just needs a rebuild).

                                                    JoshStrobl Thanks a lot for your response, i understand and I can live with it for now !
                                                    The app menu gives the top bar a sense of purpose though 😀

                                                      @JoshStrobl
                                                      the latest batch of updates that arrived in the last few hours, caused bugs with my gnome top panel

                                                      this did not happen before...the clock which ive got on the right has similar issues
                                                      edit: the panel fonts are all wrong too, not adhering to whats described in the theme