9.1.2 Observation - LocalUI.Service

[TheOldPresbyope]

Regarding the Git issue
https://github.com/RPi-Distro/chromium/issues/50

@XECDesign proposes trying a generic repro.

Code:

1. Flashed the lite arm64 image and booted on a 3B with a DSI display
2. Installed xinit, chromium, openbox and xterm.
3. Added a .xinitrc file to run xterm & openbox
4. Ran startx and launched chromium from the terminal window

Tried a few sites and everything rendered as expected.

Maybe someone could try this and see if any moode rendering issues appear.

I started down that path a week of so ago but got interrupted by real life and didn't continue. Will get back to it tonight.

Regards,
Kent

[TheOldPresbyope]

OK, so I flashed a fresh copy of 64-bit RaspiOS Live (2024-07-04).

1. On a Pi 5B with attached keyboard and HDMI display, 
- I booted, logged in, and tried to install just xinit and chromium. Oops, apt reports broken packages. 
- Ran apt update and found 60 packages could be updated/installed and the Bookworm release would be bumped from 12.6 to 12.7. 
- Did not run apt upgrade.
- Did install just xinit and chromium (beaucoup packages were installed)
- Copied over the .xinitrc file from a working copy of moOde 9.1.3.
- Edited the .xinitrc file to remove the moOde-specific cache clearing and to point chromium to a working moOde 9.1.3 player.
- Ran startx

The result: the webUI of the remote player comes up fresh as paint on the HDMI display, all elements work, and there's no "tearing" when I bring up the Configure screen. No errors or warnings related to X or chromium appeared in the journal.

2. On a Pi 3B with attached keyboard and HDMI display.
- Booted the same uSD card and logged in.
- Ran startx.

The result: again the webUI of the remote player comes up but now there's no progress or volume knob (roundel, that is) and there's "tearing" when I bring up the Configure screen. Again, I don't see any relevant errors or warnings in the journal.

When I added the --disable-gpu option to chromium and restarted X11 the knobs reappeared and the "tearing" didn't occur.

3. I'll get to my Pi 3B+ with official 7-inch LCD screen later.
-


Regards,
Kent

Notes:
- the installed version of chromium is 130.0.6723.58
- there are a few errors in the journal relating to alsactl but they aren't relevant to what I'm doing

[Tim Curtis]

Thats pretty close to XECdesign's generic config. He also used openbox and xterm. Do you think those would have an affect on the result?

[TheOldPresbyope]

Thats pretty close to  XECdesign's generic config. He also used openbox and xterm. Do you think those would have an affect on the result?

I don't see the point of including them in the equation. We don't use (or need) a window manager in moOde while he's apparently used to working in the context of a window manager (of which openbox is one). Once he's started the window manager he needs xterm.

I guess for completeness sake, I should repeat with them installed and openbox invoked but I want to exercise the DSI display with this install first.

Regards,
Kent

[Tim Curtis]

Per @XECDesign I tested on PiOS Desktop (which I've never used btw, lol) and no issues except for the annoying persistent scrollbar but maybe this can be configured as "overlay scrollbars" in chromium settings.
https://github.com/RPi-Distro/chromium/issues/50

   

I think Desktop runs Wayland and not X which would suggest that maybe xserver might causing the rendering issue on < pi4.

Code:

pi@pidesktop:~ $ ps -A | grep way
   852 ?        00:00:00 swayidle

[TheOldPresbyope]

For the past several days I've been experimenting with

- stock moOde 9.1.4 on a Pi 3B+ with official 7-in touchscreen display
- labwc package installed from Raspberry Pi repro
- chromium-browser as sole app started* by labwc/Wayland with the url http://localhost and a subset of the contents of .xinitrc in ./.config/labwc/autostart

I get what appears to be exactly the same webUI display as I (expect to) get using chromium-browser/X. Full screen, no extraneous bars, no missing roundels, no bleed-thru of backgrounds, etc.

That's the good part. The bad part: at least as slow responding to touch or filling the album / radio views as with chromium-browser/X. I haven't been able to figure out what is causing this and I have to get hold of a different case before I can repeat with a Pi 4B or Pi 5B.

I haven't ventured into virtual keyboards or screen-blanking yet.

Regards,
Kent

*so far, just invoking labwc manually from the local console

[Tim Curtis]

Progress :-)

[2800GT]

I'm still trying to follow the conversations around this issue, on the basis I might start to understand some of it, so I tried the "--use-angle=gles" option rather than the "--disable-gpu" option.
It does appear to restore the sliders function and I'm not seeing the "tearing" either

Edit: I am still seeing the tearing so the --disable-gpu option is still my preferred one

[Tim Curtis]

I'm still trying to follow the conversations around this issue, on the basis I might start to understand some of it, so I tried the "--use-angle=gles" option rather than the "--disable-gpu" option.
It does appear to restore the sliders function and I'm not seeing the "tearing" either

Edit: I am still seeing the tearing so the --disable-gpu option is still my preferred one

Replacing X compositor with Wayland / labwc compositor may provide a fix but TBD when we can get to that effort.

[2800GT]

The issue with device navigation and control via local display is not a major hassle for me as I usually control via web portal on my mobile phone.
I just like to have the display running during playback so I can see what it is doing without having to grab my phone.