Ubuntu 23.04 & Debian Prepare For Updated GNOME Triple Buffering Optimization

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Ubuntu 23.04 & Debian Prepare For Updated GNOME Triple Buffering Optimization

For the past few years Ubuntu developer Daniel van Vugt at Canonical has been working on dynamic triple buffering support for the GNOME desktop so that it will switch from double to triple buffering when the GPU is running behind in order to ultimately ramp up the GPU clock speeds / performance state in order to get back to delivering a fluid desktop experience. These triple buffering patches still haven't been upstreamed as of the GNOME 44 release due out next month, but the patches continue to be carried within Debian and Ubuntu among other distributions. An updated version of the code is now on the way to Debian and for April's Ubuntu 23.04 release...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/GNOME-Triple-Buffering-23.04

[Britoid]

I don’t see it getting merged upstream, it’s the wrong solution to a problem that’s in the Linux graphics stack.

ramping up the GPUs power draw because the driver is not prioritising the desktop is a band aid that leads to less battery life and more heat

the solution is for some kind of priority system in the gpu driver, which iirc kinda already exists with EGL, but is what other operating systems use

[sarmad]

I don’t see it getting merged upstream, it’s the wrong solution to a problem that’s in the Linux graphics stack.

ramping up the GPUs power draw because the driver is not prioritising the desktop is a band aid that leads to less battery life and more heat

the solution is for some kind of priority system in the gpu driver, which iirc kinda already exists with EGL, but is what other operating systems use

I don't think a priority system is enough to fix this. It might be required, but still won't be enough I think, because stuttering happens even when you have nothing else running that can be de-prioritized.

[Mershl]

> is finally ready for upstream by GNOME 43 this autumn...

typo: GNOME 43 -> GNOME 45

[MorrisS.]

When has been gnome 45 set?
Ubuntu is going to become an appealing project.

[Linuxxx]

I don’t see it getting merged upstream, it’s the wrong solution to a problem that’s in the Linux graphics stack.

ramping up the GPUs power draw because the driver is not prioritising the desktop is a band aid that leads to less battery life and more heat

the solution is for some kind of priority system in the gpu driver, which iirc kinda already exists with EGL, but is what other operating systems use

Let me guess:

You never used the triple-buffering patch yourself, right?

Because if you had, you'd have known that the increased power draw is miniscule, even on a dGPU such as my AMD R9 380.

And no, the problem can only be mitigated by the developers, not entirely resolved, because the root cause lies within the locked-down firmware of GPUs, which is the software part in charge of controlling the automatic reclocking of the hardware.

So instead of blaming Canonical for drastically improving the user-experience for all of us, how about you start nagging the GPU designers?

[Palu Macil]

I don’t see it getting merged upstream, it’s the wrong solution to a problem that’s in the Linux graphics stack...

I don't have the expertise you probably have, and somebody else gave a comment pointing at proprietary graphics drivers, but what I'm wondering is why you don't think Gnome should have triple buffering when Kde, MacOS, and Windows all use triple buffering. Is it two different concepts both called triple buffering? Or do you just think everyone else is making the mistake and Gnome shouldn't?

[anarsoul]

I don’t see it getting merged upstream, it’s the wrong solution to a problem that’s in the Linux graphics stack.

ramping up the GPUs power draw because the driver is not prioritising the desktop is a band aid that leads to less battery life and more heat

the solution is for some kind of priority system in the gpu driver, which iirc kinda already exists with EGL, but is what other operating systems use

The driver doesn't have a magic ball to predict that it needs to ramp up GPU frequency in order for the compositor to redraw whole desktop.

Priority system won't help here, since it's not a priority issue. Moreover EGL priority is already implemented in majority of GPU drivers

[Myownfriend]

I don't have the expertise you probably have, and somebody else gave a comment pointing at proprietary graphics drivers, but what I'm wondering is why you don't think Gnome should have triple buffering when Kde, MacOS, and Windows all use triple buffering. Is it two different concepts both called triple buffering? Or do you just think everyone else is making the mistake and Gnome shouldn't?

It's the same thing and I'm assuming they see it as a hacky solution there, too. I personally don't see the issue with it. The only times it's ramping up the GPU is when the GPU can't keep up. If the GPU is actually capable and just needs to temporarily increase it's clocks then this will help.

[Britoid]

Let me guess:

You never used the triple-buffering patch yourself, right?

Because if you had, you'd have known that the increased power draw is miniscule, even on a dGPU such as my AMD R9 380.

And no, the problem can only be mitigated by the developers, not entirely resolved, because the root cause lies within the locked-down firmware of GPUs, which is the software part in charge of controlling the automatic reclocking of the hardware.

So instead of blaming Canonical for drastically improving the user-experience for all of us, how about you start nagging the GPU designers?

I have used it actually, and found it is an extremely buggy patch. It also touches on work that's already being worked on, as seen by the fact the patch breaks every month.

No one is blaming Canonical for anything, although when it comes to GPU drivers, or the graphics stack in general, they actually do nearly nothing.