What makes Thunar so painfully slow to open the first directory?

[rhauff]

I'm running 5.8 Std on 2 machines, an 800 and a 2000 Mhz.  Thunar itself opens quickly and displays the default home directory and contents, but when I click on a directory to view it, it locks up the CPU for 20-30 seconds 'til it displays the contents.  After that other directories display quickly.

I have tried shutting off thumbnails and other option, but it is still as slow.  XFE by comparison displays the directories instantly.

[lagagnon]

I don't know the answer to that but you might try the xfce forums for more information:

http://forum.xfce.org/

[rhauff]

Good tip.  I just looked there, and can't find anything similar.

I just found it's the "Tree" view, View-Side Pane-Tree, that causes the problem.  Shortcut view is fast.
Tree view apparently loads the directory contents of all subdirectories to enable the active tree.  If I go out of Home, up to File System, then I have the Looooong delay as it reads all the dirs and subdirs from root level.

So, I don't know if there is a solution, but Shortcut view works well, just not as convenient.

Roland

[Pita]

VL-5.8-Gold
Just tried thunar and I have no such problem. Files pop-up almost instantly regardless of view set. I never use thunar so.
Sorry not much help.

[tomh38]

I've been using Thunar since 5.8 came out, and I've never seen this problem.  Sorry I can't be of help.


AMD Athlon 1.1 Ghz, 512 RAM, nVidia 128 RAM (until my new mobo arrives later today ).

[GrannyGeek]

I have also not seen this problem with Thunar. I've checked on two of my three 5.8 Standard Gold systems. The other system is not turned on.
--GrannyGeek

[Triarius Fidelis]

I wonder if strace would be of any use here.

Maybe it's polling some resource repeatedly??

[rhauff]

I haven't tried strace before, it sure dumps a lot of info!  This looks like it'll take me a while to sift through, but I'll see if I can find anything.

[Triarius Fidelis]

Yes it does. See if there is any obsessive calling (thousands of times) of the same system call anywhere. Don't be alarmed by the repeated checks for standard libraries in different places, because these are standard with any dynamically-linked binary on Linux (or other systems for that matter), and take negligible resources.

[rhauff]

Here's some very interesting information on this (to someone, I hope!):
If I open Thunar from the panel, click File System on the left (tree view), then /etc, it takes 53 seconds to load.
If I open Thunar from a terminal, it takes 22 seconds for the same process.  Here's the terminal log:

vector:/~
roland:$ thunar
thread 0x8301318 started for pool 0x80f8a98.
thread 0x8301318 in pool 0x80f8a98 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (1 running, 1 unprocessed).
thread 0x8301318 in pool 0x80f8a98 calling func.
thread 0x83fcdd0 started for pool 0x8102370.
thread 0x83fcdd0 in pool 0x8102370 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, 3 unprocessed).
thread 0x83fcdd0 in pool 0x8102370 calling func.
thread 0x83fe180 started for pool 0x8102370.
thread 0x83fe180 in pool 0x8102370 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, 2 unprocessed).
thread 0x83fe180 in pool 0x8102370 calling func.
thread 0x83fd4a0 started for pool 0x8102370.
thread 0x83fd4a0 in pool 0x8102370 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, 1 unprocessed).
thread 0x83fd4a0 in pool 0x8102370 calling func.
thread 0x83fcdd0 in pool 0x8102370 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, 0 unprocessed).
thread 0x83fe180 in pool 0x8102370 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, -1 unprocessed).
thread 0x83fd4a0 in pool 0x8102370 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, -2 unprocessed).
pool 0x8102370 not active, thread 0x83fcdd0 will go to global pool (running: false, immediate: true, len: 0).
thread 0x83fcdd0 leaving pool 0x8102370 for global pool.
thread 0x83fcdd0 waiting in global pool for 10.000000 seconds.
pool 0x8102370 not active, thread 0x83fe180 will go to global pool (running: false, immediate: true, len: 0).
thread 0x83fe180 leaving pool 0x8102370 for global pool.
thread 0x83fe180 waiting in global pool for 10.000000 seconds.
pool 0x8102370 not active, thread 0x83fd4a0 will go to global pool (running: false, immediate: true, len: 0).
thread 0x83fd4a0 leaving pool 0x8102370 for global pool.
thread 0x83fd4a0 waiting in global pool for 10.000000 seconds.
thread 0x8301318 in pool 0x80f8a98 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (1 running, 0 unprocessed).
thread 0x8301318 leaving pool 0x80f8a98 for global pool.

**********************Now clicking File System /etc:  **************************************

thread 0x8404320 started for pool 0x80f8a98.
thread 0x8404320 in pool 0x80f8a98 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (1 running, 1 unprocessed).
thread 0x8404320 in pool 0x80f8a98 calling func.
thread 0x8402410 started for pool 0x8402248.
thread 0x8402410 in pool 0x8402248 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, 3 unprocessed).
thread 0x8402410 in pool 0x8402248 calling func.
thread 0x8402410 in pool 0x8402248 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, 2 unprocessed).
thread 0x8402410 in pool 0x8402248 calling func.
thread 0x8402410 in pool 0x8402248 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, 1 unprocessed).
thread 0x8402410 in pool 0x8402248 calling func.
pool 0x8402248 not active, thread 0x8402410 will go to global pool (running: false, immediate: false, len: 0).
thread 0x8402410 leaving pool 0x8402248 for global pool.
thread 0x8402410 waiting in global pool for 10.000000 seconds.
thread 0x84338c0 started for pool 0x8402248.
pool 0x8402248 not active, thread 0x84338c0 will go to global pool (running: false, immediate: false, len: 0).
thread 0x84338c0 leaving pool 0x8402248 for global pool.
thread 0x84338c0 waiting in global pool for 10.000000 seconds.
thread 0x83fec50 started for pool 0x8402248.
pool 0x8402248 not active, thread 0x83fec50 will go to global pool (running: false, immediate: false, len: 0).
thread 0x83fec50 leaving pool 0x8402248 for global pool.
thread 0x8404320 in pool 0x80f8a98 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (1 running, 0 unprocessed).
thread 0x83fec50 waiting in global pool for 10.000000 seconds.
thread 0x8404320 leaving pool 0x80f8a98 for global pool.
thread 0x8402410 entering pool 0x80f8a98 from global pool.
thread 0x8402410 in pool 0x80f8a98 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (2 running, 2 unprocessed).
thread 0x8402410 in pool 0x80f8a98 calling func.
thread 0x83fec50 entering pool 0x80f8a98 from global pool.
thread 0x83fec50 in pool 0x80f8a98 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (2 running, 1 unprocessed).
thread 0x83fec50 in pool 0x80f8a98 calling func.
thread 0x84338c0 entering pool 0x8431a28 from global pool.
thread 0x84338c0 in pool 0x8431a28 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, 3 unprocessed).
thread 0x84338c0 in pool 0x8431a28 calling func.
thread 0x8430d98 started for pool 0x8431a28.
thread 0x8430d98 in pool 0x8431a28 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, 2 unprocessed).
thread 0x8430d98 in pool 0x8431a28 calling func.
thread 0x84bc448 started for pool 0x8431a28.
thread 0x84bc448 in pool 0x8431a28 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, 1 unprocessed).
thread 0x84bc448 in pool 0x8431a28 calling func.
thread 0x84338c0 in pool 0x8431a28 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, 0 unprocessed).
thread 0x8430d98 in pool 0x8431a28 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, -1 unprocessed).
thread 0x84bc448 in pool 0x8431a28 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, -2 unprocessed).
pool 0x8431a28 not active, thread 0x84338c0 will go to global pool (running: false, immediate: true, len: 0).
thread 0x84338c0 leaving pool 0x8431a28 for global pool.
thread 0x84338c0 waiting in global pool for 10.000000 seconds.
pool 0x8431a28 not active, thread 0x8430d98 will go to global pool (running: false, immediate: true, len: 0).
thread 0x8430d98 leaving pool 0x8431a28 for global pool.
thread 0x8430d98 waiting in global pool for 10.000000 seconds.
pool 0x8431a28 not active, thread 0x84bc448 will go to global pool (running: false, immediate: true, len: 0).
thread 0x84bc448 leaving pool 0x8431a28 for global pool.
thread 0x84bc448 waiting in global pool for 10.000000 seconds.
thread 0x84338c0 entering pool 0x8431a28 from global pool.
thread 0x84338c0 in pool 0x8431a28 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, 3 unprocessed).
thread 0x84338c0 in pool 0x8431a28 calling func.
thread 0x84338c0 in pool 0x8431a28 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, 2 unprocessed).
thread 0x84338c0 in pool 0x8431a28 calling func.
thread 0x84338c0 in pool 0x8431a28 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (3 running, 1 unprocessed).
thread 0x84338c0 in pool 0x8431a28 calling func.
pool 0x8431a28 not active, thread 0x84338c0 will go to global pool (running: false, immediate: false, len: 0).
thread 0x84338c0 leaving pool 0x8431a28 for global pool.
thread 0x84338c0 waiting in global pool for 10.000000 seconds.
thread 0x84338c0 entering pool 0x8431a28 from global pool.
pool 0x8431a28 not active, thread 0x84338c0 will go to global pool (running: false, immediate: false, len: 0).
thread 0x84338c0 leaving pool 0x8431a28 for global pool.
thread 0x84338c0 waiting in global pool for 10.000000 seconds.
thread 0x84338c0 entering pool 0x8431a28 from global pool.
pool 0x8431a28 not active, thread 0x84338c0 will go to global pool (running: false, immediate: false, len: 0).
thread 0x84338c0 leaving pool 0x8431a28 for global pool.
thread 0x84338c0 waiting in global pool for 10.000000 seconds.
thread 0x83fec50 in pool 0x80f8a98 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (2 running, 0 unprocessed).
thread 0x8402410 in pool 0x80f8a98 waits for up to a 1/2 second for task (2 running, -1 unprocessed).
thread 0x83fec50 leaving pool 0x80f8a98 for global pool.
thread 0x8402410 leaving pool 0x80f8a98 for global pool.

Any ideas???

[rhauff]

I also noticed in htop, there are normally a couple Thunar --daemon's running.  When I click on /etc to open it,  I think I see 8 of them!??

[rhauff]

Well this is strange, if I open thunar from the terminal with strace, Thunar itself takes a couple seconds longer to load because of the hundreds of strace messages being logged, but there is NO delay when I click on the /etc or other directories!

[Triarius Fidelis]

Sorry. No clue...

[exeterdad]

I tried Thunar in both views and /etc opens the same in both. (5.8 Standard)

LOL  I didn't even know there was a tree view until now, Thanks!

[Andy Price]

Rhauff, you're not alone in this problem! I'm running 5.8 Gold on a 1.8 GHz P4 and see the same effect. What's strange is that sometimes there's no delay, other times it takes 10 - 20 seconds to display directory contents. I've switched to Shortcuts view as a workaround as you suggested. Something funny going on...