GUI performance issue

Discussions about using Linux guests in VirtualBox.
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Manumie
Posts: 6
Joined: 8. Feb 2016, 13:00

GUI performance issue

Post by Manumie »

Hello everyone,

I'm using a Linux guest (Ubuntu) on a Windows 8.1 host as my main workstation.
(I also have other VMs as test machines).
The extension pack is installed and up-to-date.

I have a dual monitor setup, with the guest's virtual screen using host's screen n°2, in full screen (auto size)
It's been working just fine until this morning : the Unity desktop (Ubuntu) is just desperately slow ; menus and windows fading, switching desktops, etc. are very slow.

Minimum info :
VirtualBox 5.0.14r105127
Extension Pack Version: 5.0.14 r105127
Host : Windows 8.1 (Intel core i5 ; RAM 16 GB)
Guest : Ubuntu 12.04 (2 CPUs ; RAM 8 GB)

I'm not sure if this is related, but I installed (dot)NET framework 4.5 this morning, while the guest was running.
I had just started the guest and had not yet been working on it, so I can't tell if it was already slow or not, though I thought the startup took longer than usual.

I updated the nvidia video driver on the host, just in case.

I also updated Avast on the host, and excluded the folder where the VMs are stored.

I also noticed warnings and errors in /var/log/Xorg.0.log (on the guest) :

Code: Select all

[    21.666] (WW) Falling back to old probe method for vesa
[    21.666] (WW) Falling back to old probe method for modesetting
[    21.666] (WW) Falling back to old probe method for fbdev
(...)
[    23.222] (EE) AIGLX error: vboxvideo does not export required DRI extension
[    23.222] (EE) AIGLX: reverting to software rendering
[    23.222] (II) AIGLX: Screen 0 is not DRI capable
[    25.146] (II) AIGLX: Loaded and initialized swrast
[    25.146] (II) GLX: Initialized DRISWRAST GL provider for screen 0
[    25.147] (II) VBoxVideo(0): Setting screen physical size to 508 x 285
Any idea on what's causing the performance issue ?

Thanks in advance
Attachments
VBlogs.zip
contains VBox.log and VBoxHardening.log
(70.12 KiB) Downloaded 8 times
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: GUI performance issue

Post by mpack »

I can't see how the .net framework on the host would affect an Ubuntu guest. VirtualBox doesn't use .net in VMs.

Have you looked at the task list to see who is hogging resources, particularly CPU and I/O?
Manumie
Posts: 6
Joined: 8. Feb 2016, 13:00

Re: GUI performance issue

Post by Manumie »

VirtualBox.exe is the process using the most CPU on the host.
RAM usage is average, no peak.

The captures were taken right after playing for about 20 secs in the guest : switching desktops, switching between 4 open windows in Sublime text (very slow fading and scaling).

The apps in the guest work about fine, the lag issue really seems to be more a xorg / compiz / unity issue.
In the guest, when I switch desktops are alt+tab between apps, or whatever UI action, Xorg and compiz start getting greedy : Xorg can take up to 80% CPU and compiz about 10%.

I'll dig into that.
Attachments
monitor.guest.png
monitor.guest.png (69.29 KiB) Viewed 5501 times
monitor.host.png
monitor.host.png (78.32 KiB) Viewed 5501 times
Manumie
Posts: 6
Joined: 8. Feb 2016, 13:00

Re: GUI performance issue

Post by Manumie »

I've tried several things :
- reinstalled Guest Additions in the guest
- ran

Code: Select all

X -configure
(in recovery mode) but it detected too many screens and failed to complete the configuration
- ran another VM (Debian / Gnome 3), and noticed slow response with the desktop effects (though not as bad as in the Ubuntu guest)

So I don't know what it is, but it seems to come from outside the guests, maybe even from outside VirtualBox : either a Windows update or a buggy video driver.

I guess I'll just have to be patient and see if some upcoming updates fix my problem.

Meanwhile, if anyone has a clue, I'll be glad to investigate !
NickB42
Posts: 8
Joined: 4. Feb 2016, 19:10

Re: GUI performance issue

Post by NickB42 »

I'm having the same issue. I'm running a Windows 7 host and a Linux Mint 17 guest. The guest is 99-100% idle, but I see a consistent 10-20% CPU usage in the host.
NickB42
Posts: 8
Joined: 4. Feb 2016, 19:10

Re: GUI performance issue

Post by NickB42 »

I just disabled 3D acceleration and the problem went away.
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: GUI performance issue

Post by mpack »

The main effect of disabling 3D acceleration in the guest is that OpenGL drivers on the host are no longer being called. If you have this problem, and the suggested solution of disabling 3D acceleration works, then it might be worth your time to look for updated graphics drivers for your host.
Manumie
Posts: 6
Joined: 8. Feb 2016, 13:00

Re: GUI performance issue

Post by Manumie »

I disabled 3D acceleration too.
The guest is a bit faster as most of the desktop effects are disabled.
That doesn't really solve the problem.
When I'm working in the Windows host (like writing this post), the resource monitor for CPU shows about 60 to 70% maximum frequency.
As soon as I click in the host, it goes between 80 and 100% (even going higher than 100% !)
And as I mentioned in my first post, the nvidia driver has been updated as soon as I noticed the problem.

Something did affect the way the guest handles graphics and videos.
There were a couple of Windows Updates that took place the same day I ran into my problem.
Namely :
KB3102478
KB3102467
KB3045607
KB3045563
KB3135449
KB3122862
KB2976978
If I had the time, I should try and uninstall them one by one to see if one of them is responsible for the problem.

And it's not because VirtualBox doesn't use .NET in VMs that it can't affect the host system, in the way it exposes features to VirtualBox, which in turn exposes them to the VMs.
Manumie
Posts: 6
Joined: 8. Feb 2016, 13:00

Re: GUI performance issue

Post by Manumie »

I've removed the bunch of Microsoft updates that took place the day my VM started to be lazy.

A first try at launching the VM (after host reboot) threw an error : the VT-x is not set in the BIOS
I tried another VM and got the same message, so I went to check the BIOS, and the option was actually set.

I tried again to start the VM, and now it just stops after GRUB (in recovery mode too).
I shut it down with Host+Q.

I tried another VM (Debian) which works just fine (no more slow graphics).

So I have a problem with my main VM, but I haven't got a clue where to start looking...
I looked at the VBox.log (attached) but couldn't see anything wrong.

Could the .vdi be corrupted ? How can I check ?

I'm gonna try to start the VM with a live-cd to see if it starts.
If it doesn't I'll create a new VM with the .vdi attached to the SATA controller.
Attachments
VBox.20160210.log.log.zip
(20.28 KiB) Downloaded 6 times
Manumie
Posts: 6
Joined: 8. Feb 2016, 13:00

Re: GUI performance issue

Post by Manumie »

I booted successfully on a Lubuntu live-cd.
The VM starts and the partitions from the vdi are there.

However, I get a lot of dialogs about I/O errors
Actually, in the GUI, there's only nautilus that works.
I switched to a console. I can cd and ls but other commands (fdisk, reboot, etc.) also report I/O errors

Can these be fixed ? Can they occur in other VMs ?
Is it a hint to some imminent hardware failure (on the host) ?

I guess I have no other choice than to build a brand new VM, copy my files, and forget about the old one.
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