I've notice in both Nautilus and Evolution that when the screen content exceeds the viewable space, often simple interactions (render email preview, directory in list few with many files) force compiz to spin one core at about 20%, sometimes for a minute or two and the current window, and any other with pending work to *figure out* a vertical scroll just sit in the greyed wait state.
It is really apparent when opening my Nautilus home directory, as this operation usually a few seconds, but since recent 11.10 seems to take about a minute. Often when the Nautilus window is greyed out, the vertical scroll is missing. This observation and one from an upstream Evolution thread that noticed ithe delay only happens with vertical scroll in the preview is what has led me to believe there is some issue with the vertical scroll bar calculation/display.
One workaround may be to use a giant screen and orient the the long axis vertically to cut down on the need for vertical scroll bars altogether or organize Nautilus icons to reduce the need for vertical scrolling and increase Evolution mail preview space.
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu6
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-13.22-generic 3.0.6
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-13-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,decor,mousepoll,commands,wall,place,session,grid,move,resize,gnomecompat,compiztoolbox,vpswitch,imgpng,snap,regex,unitymtgrabhandles,animation,fade,workarounds,expo,scale,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Fri Nov 11 09:08:32 2011
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2011-10-28 09:08:30.268528
DistroCodename: oneiric
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
fglrx, 8.881, 3.0.0-13-generic, x86_64: installed
vboxhost, 4.1.6, 3.0.0-13-generic, x86_64: installed
GraphicsCard:
ATI Technologies Inc Mobility Radeon HD 3400 Series [1002:95c4] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:30fc]
JockeyStatus:
xorg:fglrx_updates - ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver (post-release updates) (Proprietary, Disabled, Not in use)
xorg:fglrx - ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver (Proprietary, Enabled, In use)
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP Pavilion dv7 Notebook PC
PackageArchitecture: all
PlymouthDebug: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/plymouth-debug.log'
ProcEnviron:
PATH=(custom, no user)
LANG=en_US.utf8
SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-13-generic root=UUID=52543d1c-6080-4cdf-80e0-30b9af3748f7 ro crashkernel=384M-2G:64M,2G-:128M splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: compiz
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-28 (13 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 08/17/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.bios.version: F.49
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: 30FD
dmi.board.vendor: Compal
dmi.board.version: 01.99
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Compal
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvrF.49:bd08/17/2009:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPPaviliondv7NotebookPC:pvr1:rvnCompal:rn30FD:rvr01.99:cvnCompal:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: HP Pavilion dv7 Notebook PC
dmi.product.version: 1
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu6
version.fglrx-installer: fglrx-installer N/A
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu26
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.26-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu7
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.6.0-1ubuntu13
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20110811.g93fc084-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.15.901-1ubuntu2.1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110411+8378443-1
This may be a related bug.. they seem to both result in waiting GUI, and they always resolve themselves *together*.. i.e. my Evolution preview pane comes to life at the same moment as all my Nautilus windows when they are both open at the same time.
I also experience this independently with both of them, and compiz is always there taking about 30% CPU and not showing vertical scrollbars sometimes until the moment of resolution.