Hi,

I'm running a Dell Latitude E5500 laptop with arch linux and the latest KDE packages - they are all either 4.4.3-1 or 4.4.3-2. I am having several issues when logging in. Starting with the worst/most inconvenient:
- Every 2-3 logins KDE does not seem to get itself set up correctly. The KDE login page comes up fine, but after entering my password something seems to be using or blocking system resources (not CPU as I checked top from another console) to the point that KDE is unusable. The usual symptoms are significant mouse lag immediately after logging in, followed by even more lag in any mouse input (30+ seconds to respond to a click).
- More infrequently KDE starts up with the wrong screen resolution. I do run an external monitor at work but when I run my laptop standalone the resolution is often wrong. Sometimes when switching resolutions (using System Settings>Display) the screen redraws completely black and I have not choice but to kill the startkde process.
- Sometimes KDE starts up fine in that there is no IO lag, but the screen has drawn itself very strangely - I have screenshots to show this but am unsure how to post them here. Basically the edges of all the plasmoids/panels are either missing or partially drawn.

I don't have any applications configured to run at startup. I have a couple of folder view plasmoids and a calendar plasmoid on my desktop.

I can't be sure exactly when this started happening - probably about 2-3 months ago. Before then KDE was running great.

If anyone can suggest anything for me to try, any more info I can provide, or how to post my screenshots, please let me know.

Regards,
Nick

If you create a new user, do they experience this?

Also, do you have any other users logged in to the system when experiencing this? Which graphics card do you use, do you have the latest drivers installed if proprietary, and do you use Desktop Effects?

Hi,

Thanks for your reply - my answers are in line below:

bcooksley wrote:If you create a new user, do they experience this?

I haven't tried creating a new account since this started happening but I will check this out.

Also, do you have any other users logged in to the system when experiencing this?

I only have two logins on my laptop that log into KDE (other accounts don't use a graphical interface), and to the best of my knowledge only my every day account experiences these problems.

Which graphics card do you use, do you have the latest drivers installed if proprietary,

I have an Intel chipset:

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[nickh] 57-> dmesg | grep -i intel
Performance Events: Core2 events, Intel PMU driver.
CPU0: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     T9550  @ 2.66GHz stepping 0a
agpgart-intel 0000:00:00.0: Intel GM45 Chipset
agpgart-intel 0000:00:00.0: detected 32764K stolen memory
agpgart-intel 0000:00:00.0: AGP aperture is 256M @ 0xe0000000
fb0: inteldrmfb frame buffer device
iTCO_wdt: Intel TCO WatchDog Timer Driver v1.05
HDA Intel 0000:00:1b.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 21 (level, low) -> IRQ 21
HDA Intel 0000:00:1b.0: irq 29 for MSI/MSI-X
HDA Intel 0000:00:1b.0: setting latency timer to 64
iwlagn: Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link AGN driver for Linux, 2.6.33-ARCH-ks
iwlagn: Copyright(c) 2003-2009 Intel Corporation
iwlagn 0000:0c:00.0: Detected Intel Wireless WiFi Link 5100AGN REV=0x54
input: HDA Intel Mic at Ext Right Jack as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0/input13
input: HDA Intel Line Out at Sep Left Jack as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0/input14
input: HDA Intel HP Out at Ext Right Jack as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0/input15
hda-intel: IRQ timing workaround is activated for card #0. Suggest a bigger bdl_pos_adj.


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[nickh] 58-> lspci | grep -i graphics
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)

and do you use Desktop Effects?

Yes, I am using some desktop effects.

I will see if I can reproduce the problem with a new account - is there anything else I can try that would help diagnose the problem?

Regards,
Nick

If your new account experiences the issue, please try disabling Desktop Effects, and see if you can still reproduce the issue.

Hi,

As luck would have it I haven't been able to reproduce the problem in either my existing account or a new account the past several days (with no kde package upgrades in the mean time). I'll reply again if it starts again without Desktop Effects enabled.

Regards,
Nick