Bug 495695 - Mouse and window animations Stutter During Heavy Disk IO
Summary: Mouse and window animations Stutter During Heavy Disk IO
Status: CONFIRMED
Alias: None
Product: kwin
Classification: Plasma
Component: performance (other bugs)
Version First Reported In: 6.2.2
Platform: Other Linux
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: KWin default assignee
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2024-11-01 17:49 UTC by dofficialgman
Modified: 2025-07-09 11:03 UTC (History)
5 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:


Attachments

Note You need to log in before you can comment on or make changes to this bug.
Description dofficialgman 2024-11-01 17:49:15 UTC
SUMMARY
Mouse movement stutter/freezes during heavy disk IO (eg: during application upgrades from the software center).

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Use KDE Neon 24.04 (Wayland)
2. Perform an application upgrade using the software center
3. attempt to move mouse and observe it freeze for brief moments multiple times during the upgrade

OBSERVED RESULT
Mouse stutters

EXPECTED RESULT
Mouse does not stutter

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Linux/KDE Plasma: KDE Neon 6.2
KDE Plasma Version: 6.2.2
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.7.0
Qt Version: 6.8.0

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
I believe this to be a regression as I do not remember experiencing this issue on Plasma 6.1 and earlier versions.
Comment 1 Nate Graham 2024-11-04 17:47:56 UTC
Are you by any chance forcing the use of the software cursor? What does `env | grep KWIN_FORCE_SW_CURSOR` in a terminal window say?
Comment 2 dofficialgman 2024-11-04 20:47:12 UTC
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #1)
> Are you by any chance forcing the use of the software cursor? What does `env
> | grep KWIN_FORCE_SW_CURSOR` in a terminal window say?

I am not forcing the use of the software cursor. There is no such variable set in the environment (the output of the command is nothing).
Comment 3 dofficialgman 2025-04-27 21:42:22 UTC
To provide a little more context. It actually seems like the entire output to the screen freezes, not just the mouse. For example, if some window is animating or if a video is playing, it will stutter/freeze at the same time as the mouse.

This isn't with a slow HDD either, I am using an NVMe SSD.
Comment 4 Felix Urbasik 2025-07-09 11:03:45 UTC
I think this is still present in Plasma 6.4.2.

It seems like disabling swap makes it a lot less likely, but it can still happen.

I've seen the following pattern on a friend's computer:
- it seems to happen more frequently during interactions such as right clicking
- when it happens, CPU "kernel" time spikes to 100% on one CPU cores

Everything suggests that this is I/O related. 
Ideally, compositing or "updating the screen" should be completely decoupled from any I/O.
Last time I talked to the KWin people they told me that this is not currently the case and it wouldn't be an easy task.