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vontrotsky
n00b
Joined: 18 Jan 2005
Posts: 17
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 Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 2:38 am Post subject: How can I avoid frequent Totem and xmms skips? |
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I'm running a gnome desktop and playing mp3s with Totem and xmms (not at the same time). Either player skips when I am doing disk intensive work, such as emerging or cpu heavy work(?) such as closing thunderbird. What can I do to mitigate this problem? I'm hoping for something a little more permenant than renice-ing the players (which doesn't even work that well).
--Jeff
[running gentoo kernel 2.6.11, and current versions of gnome, totem, xmms] |
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micmac
l33t
Joined: 28 Nov 2003
Posts: 996
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 3:35 am Post subject: |
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Same here. I tried kernel preemption but that didn't help. Also increasing xmms' buffer size x10 didn't do the trick. The only thing that may have reduced the skips a little was compiling a kernel with CONFIG_PACKET_MMAP, but I'm not sure if it really helped. I'd like to have no skips at all of course  The computer shouldn't have a big problem, it's a 1700+ sitting on a NForce2 board together with 512MB DDR.
Cheers
micmac |
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Nicom
Guru
Joined: 30 Jan 2003
Posts: 380
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 6:15 am Post subject: |
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Maybe this option in make.conf would help?
| Code: | # PORTAGE_NICENESS provides a default increment to emerge's niceness level.
# Note: This is an increment. Running emerge in a niced environment will
# reduce it further. Default is unset.
#PORTAGE_NICENESS=3
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But I guess that only helps the skips caused by emerging.
MP3's and stuff shouldn't use too much disk IO, sounds more like CPU or ram related. What's your ram situation. |
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vontrotsky
n00b
Joined: 18 Jan 2005
Posts: 17
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 6:56 am Post subject: |
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Nicom,
Thanks for the reply... I've got 512 M of ram, After some playing I think it actually is a disk issue, although one caused by my poor kernel configuration skills.... I didn't have dma enabled (rather didn't have it enabled correctly for my mother board). Getting that straightened out seems to have helped (I've only tested a little, but haven't been able to produce a skip).
MicMac:
try running, as root,
if you get the line
| Code: | | using_dma = 0 (off) |
Then dma isn't enabled. DMA lets your system copy data from disk to memory without using an many interupts and generally makes things much snappier.
To turn dma for an ide hard drive:
1) Run lspci which is in the pciutils package
| Code: |
concorde linux # lspci
...
0000:00:02.5 IDE interface: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 5513 [IDE]
...
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The IDE interface line will tell you the chipset of your ide controller
2) Enable the following kernal options
| Code: |
Device Drivers --->
ATA/ATAPI/MFM/RLL support --->
[*] Generic PCI bus-master DMA support
[ ] Force enable legacy 2.0.X HOSTS to use DMA
[*] Use PCI DMA by default when available
<*> {{Your Chipset}} chipset support
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3) rebuild kernel as usual.
I'm told that it's important to compile support for your chipset into the kernel (not as a module).
Props to the good folks on #gentoo who helped me figure out the above:)
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jeff |
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micmac
l33t
Joined: 28 Nov 2003
Posts: 996
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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Hi there,
I got 512MB PC2100 (DDR266). Even DualChannel is working. I got a not too fast disk spinning at 5400rpm. It's a Samsung SV1604N. But it should do.
hdparm /dev/hda
/dev/hda:
multcount = 16 (on)
IO_support = 1 (32-bit)
unmaskirq = 1 (on)
using_dma = 1 (on)
keepsettings = 0 (off)
readonly = 0 (off)
readahead = 256 (on)
geometry = 19457/255/63, sectors = 160041885696, start = 0
hdparm -tT /dev/hda
/dev/hda:
Timing cached reads: 1376 MB in 2.00 seconds = 686.73 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 92 MB in 3.02 seconds = 30.51 MB/sec
Mind you that this test was done while compiling. Usually I get around 45MB/sec while the system is idle.
I got the proper chipset support in kernel.
Are you saying now that you enabled DMA your skipping totally went away?
Cheers
micmac |
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micmac
l33t
Joined: 28 Nov 2003
Posts: 996
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2005 3:52 pm Post subject: |
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I solved it on my computer. I have to increase the vid cards latency from the default 32 to higher values like 128 or even 240. The 32 just didn't cut it. Also, besides eliminating the sound skips now I don't have so many cords (?) while moving windows around. All in all I was lucky I guess 
Cheers
micmac |
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