JDK-6720723 : Java GUI's are very slow over network x11 redirection (through ssh)
  • Type: Bug
  • Component: client-libs
  • Sub-Component: java.awt
  • Affected Version: 6
  • Priority: P4
  • Status: Closed
  • Resolution: Duplicate
  • OS: linux
  • CPU: x86
  • Submitted: 2008-06-30
  • Updated: 2011-02-16
  • Resolved: 2008-10-16
Related Reports
Duplicate :  
JDK-4488401 - Antialiasing/Compositing is slow on remote display
Description
FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
The problem certainly exists for both jdk/jre 1.6 and jdk/jre 1.5;
1.4 could also be affected.

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Ubuntu linux 8.04 /  Linux vali 2.6.24-18-generic #1 SMP Wed May 28 20:27:26 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux
However, this is reproducible on any other linux environment.

EXTRA RELEVANT SYSTEM CONFIGURATION :
******************Xorg version :
ii  xorg           1:7.3+10ubuntu X.Org X Window System

****************** xdpyingo :
name of display:    :0.0
version number:    11.0
vendor string:    The X.Org Foundation
vendor release number:    10400090
X.Org version: 1.4.0.90
maximum request size:  16777212 bytes
motion buffer size:  256
bitmap unit, bit order, padding:    32, LSBFirst, 32
image byte order:    LSBFirst
number of supported pixmap formats:    7
supported pixmap formats:
    depth 1, bits_per_pixel 1, scanline_pad 32
    depth 4, bits_per_pixel 8, scanline_pad 32
    depth 8, bits_per_pixel 8, scanline_pad 32
    depth 15, bits_per_pixel 16, scanline_pad 32
    depth 16, bits_per_pixel 16, scanline_pad 32
    depth 24, bits_per_pixel 32, scanline_pad 32
    depth 32, bits_per_pixel 32, scanline_pad 32
keycode range:    minimum 8, maximum 255
focus:  window 0x4200003, revert to PointerRoot
number of extensions:    33
    BIG-REQUESTS
    Composite
    DAMAGE
    DOUBLE-BUFFER
    DPMS
    Extended-Visual-Information
    GLX
    MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
    MIT-SHM
    MIT-SUNDRY-NONSTANDARD
    RANDR
    RECORD
    RENDER
    SECURITY
    SGI-GLX
    SHAPE
    SYNC
    TOG-CUP
    X-Resource
    XAccessControlExtension
    XC-APPGROUP
    XC-MISC
    XFIXES
    XFree86-Bigfont
    XFree86-DGA
    XFree86-DRI
    XFree86-Misc
    XFree86-VidModeExtension
    XINERAMA
    XInputExtension
    XKEYBOARD
    XTEST
    XVideo
default screen number:    0
number of screens:    1

screen #0:
  dimensions:    1400x1050 pixels (305x228 millimeters)
  resolution:    117x117 dots per inch
  depths (7):    24, 1, 4, 8, 15, 16, 32
  root window id:    0x5a
  depth of root window:    24 planes
  number of colormaps:    minimum 1, maximum 1
  default colormap:    0x20
  default number of colormap cells:    256
  preallocated pixels:    black 0, white 16777215
  options:    backing-store NO, save-unders NO
  largest cursor:    64x64
  current input event mask:    0xfa8033
    KeyPressMask             KeyReleaseMask           EnterWindowMask
    LeaveWindowMask          ExposureMask             StructureNotifyMask
    SubstructureNotifyMask   SubstructureRedirectMask FocusChangeMask
    PropertyChangeMask       ColormapChangeMask
  number of visuals:    17
  default visual id:  0x23
  visual:
    visual id:    0x23
    class:    TrueColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x24
    class:    TrueColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x25
    class:    TrueColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x26
    class:    TrueColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x27
    class:    TrueColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x28
    class:    TrueColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x29
    class:    TrueColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x2a
    class:    TrueColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x2b
    class:    DirectColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x2c
    class:    DirectColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x2d
    class:    DirectColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x2e
    class:    DirectColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x2f
    class:    DirectColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x30
    class:    DirectColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x31
    class:    DirectColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x32
    class:    DirectColor
    depth:    24 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
  visual:
    visual id:    0x58
    class:    TrueColor
    depth:    32 planes
    available colormap entries:    256 per subfield
    red, green, blue masks:    0xff0000, 0xff00, 0xff
    significant bits in color specification:    8 bits
***************************************************** glxinfo  :

name of display: :0.0
display: :0  screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: SGI
server glx version string: 1.2
server glx extensions:
    GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_import_context, GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap,
    GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_MESA_copy_sub_buffer,
    GLX_OML_swap_method, GLX_SGI_make_current_read, GLX_SGI_swap_control,
    GLX_SGIS_multisample, GLX_SGIX_fbconfig, GLX_SGIX_visual_select_group
client glx vendor string: SGI
client glx version string: 1.4
client glx extensions:
    GLX_ARB_get_proc_address, GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_import_context,
    GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_MESA_allocate_memory,
    GLX_MESA_copy_sub_buffer, GLX_MESA_swap_control,
    GLX_MESA_swap_frame_usage, GLX_OML_swap_method, GLX_OML_sync_control,
    GLX_SGI_make_current_read, GLX_SGI_swap_control, GLX_SGI_video_sync,
    GLX_SGIS_multisample, GLX_SGIX_fbconfig, GLX_SGIX_pbuffer,
    GLX_SGIX_visual_select_group, GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap
GLX version: 1.2
GLX extensions:
    GLX_ARB_get_proc_address, GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_import_context,
    GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_MESA_copy_sub_buffer,
    GLX_MESA_swap_control, GLX_MESA_swap_frame_usage, GLX_OML_swap_method,
    GLX_SGI_make_current_read, GLX_SGI_swap_control, GLX_SGI_video_sync,
    GLX_SGIS_multisample, GLX_SGIX_fbconfig, GLX_SGIX_visual_select_group
OpenGL vendor string: Tungsten Graphics, Inc
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) 965GM 4.1.3002 x86/MMX/SSE2
OpenGL version string: 1.4 Mesa 7.0.3-rc2
OpenGL extensions:
    GL_ARB_depth_texture, GL_ARB_fragment_program, GL_ARB_imaging,
    GL_ARB_multisample, GL_ARB_multitexture, GL_ARB_point_parameters,
    GL_ARB_shadow, GL_ARB_texture_border_clamp, GL_ARB_texture_compression,
    GL_ARB_texture_cube_map, GL_ARB_texture_env_add,
    GL_ARB_texture_env_combine, GL_ARB_texture_env_crossbar,
    GL_ARB_texture_env_dot3, GL_ARB_texture_mirrored_repeat,
    GL_ARB_texture_non_power_of_two, GL_ARB_texture_rectangle,
    GL_ARB_transpose_matrix, GL_ARB_vertex_buffer_object,
    GL_ARB_vertex_program, GL_ARB_window_pos, GL_EXT_abgr, GL_EXT_bgra,
    GL_EXT_blend_color, GL_EXT_blend_equation_separate,
    GL_EXT_blend_func_separate, GL_EXT_blend_logic_op, GL_EXT_blend_minmax,
    GL_EXT_blend_subtract, GL_EXT_clip_volume_hint, GL_EXT_cull_vertex,
    GL_EXT_compiled_vertex_array, GL_EXT_convolution, GL_EXT_copy_texture,
    GL_EXT_draw_range_elements, GL_EXT_fog_coord, GL_EXT_histogram,
    GL_EXT_multi_draw_arrays, GL_EXT_packed_pixels, GL_EXT_point_parameters,
    GL_EXT_polygon_offset, GL_EXT_rescale_normal, GL_EXT_secondary_color,
    GL_EXT_separate_specular_color, GL_EXT_shadow_funcs, GL_EXT_stencil_wrap,
    GL_EXT_subtexture, GL_EXT_texture, GL_EXT_texture3D,
    GL_EXT_texture_edge_clamp, GL_EXT_texture_env_add,
    GL_EXT_texture_env_combine, GL_EXT_texture_env_dot3,
    GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic, GL_EXT_texture_lod_bias,
    GL_EXT_texture_object, GL_EXT_texture_rectangle, GL_EXT_vertex_array,
    GL_3DFX_texture_compression_FXT1, GL_APPLE_client_storage,
    GL_APPLE_packed_pixels, GL_ATI_blend_equation_separate,
    GL_IBM_rasterpos_clip, GL_IBM_texture_mirrored_repeat,
    GL_INGR_blend_func_separate, GL_MESA_pack_invert, GL_MESA_ycbcr_texture,
    GL_MESA_window_pos, GL_NV_blend_square, GL_NV_light_max_exponent,
    GL_NV_texture_rectangle, GL_NV_texgen_reflection, GL_OES_read_format,
    GL_SGI_color_matrix, GL_SGI_color_table, GL_SGIS_generate_mipmap,
    GL_SGIS_texture_border_clamp, GL_SGIS_texture_edge_clamp,
    GL_SGIS_texture_lod, GL_SGIX_depth_texture, GL_SUN_multi_draw_arrays

   visual  x  bf lv rg d st colorbuffer ax dp st accumbuffer  ms  cav
 id dep cl sp sz l  ci b ro  r  g  b  a bf th cl  r  g  b  a ns b eat
----------------------------------------------------------------------
0x23 24 tc  0 32  0 r  y  .  8  8  8  8  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 0 None
0x24 24 tc  0 32  0 r  .  .  8  8  8  8  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 0 None
0x25 24 tc  0 32  0 r  y  .  8  8  8  8  0 24  8  0  0  0  0  0 0 None
0x26 24 tc  0 32  0 r  .  .  8  8  8  8  0 24  8  0  0  0  0  0 0 None
0x27 24 tc  0 32  0 r  y  .  8  8  8  8  0  0  0 16 16 16 16  0 0 Slow
0x28 24 tc  0 32  0 r  .  .  8  8  8  8  0  0  0 16 16 16 16  0 0 Slow
0x29 24 tc  0 32  0 r  y  .  8  8  8  8  0 24  8 16 16 16 16  0 0 Slow
0x2a 24 tc  0 32  0 r  .  .  8  8  8  8  0 24  8 16 16 16 16  0 0 Slow
0x2b 24 dc  0 32  0 r  y  .  8  8  8  8  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 0 None
0x2c 24 dc  0 32  0 r  .  .  8  8  8  8  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 0 None
0x2d 24 dc  0 32  0 r  y  .  8  8  8  8  0 24  8  0  0  0  0  0 0 None
0x2e 24 dc  0 32  0 r  .  .  8  8  8  8  0 24  8  0  0  0  0  0 0 None
0x2f 24 dc  0 32  0 r  y  .  8  8  8  8  0  0  0 16 16 16 16  0 0 Slow
0x30 24 dc  0 32  0 r  .  .  8  8  8  8  0  0  0 16 16 16 16  0 0 Slow
0x31 24 dc  0 32  0 r  y  .  8  8  8  8  0 24  8 16 16 16 16  0 0 Slow
0x32 24 dc  0 32  0 r  .  .  8  8  8  8  0 24  8 16 16 16 16  0 0 Slow
0x58 32 tc  0 32  0 r  .  .  8  8  8  8  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 0 Ncon


A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
When running java remote applications with the x11 display  connection redirected via ssh (or not even redirected with ssh, just with DISPLAY set to remote.address:0 ) the latency of the GUI is so big that it is impossible to use the application productively.
This is DEFINITELY not a physical network latency or bandwidth issue, because the problem is reproducible even on localhost connections, something like this :
user@localhost:~$ssh -X someotheruser@localhost
someotheruser@localhost:~$ /path/to/java_application
This also happens if plain tcp listening of the Xserver (disabled by default on most systems) is reactivated and on the someotheruser account DISPLAY is set as localhost:0 (xhost + localhost or xauth should be prepared under the user account currently logged on the X session )
So, as this problem manifests itself even on the loopback interface, which is usually VERY fast, any network bandwidth or latency issue is excluded.
The following should be mentioned :
- any other graphic application works as expected, interactivity and display fluency  is very good, for example using ssh -X someotheruser@localhost firefox one is able to view flash videos in very good conditions. The menus response times for the applications is very good, unlike java gui's
- the problem seems very much related to the one described here :
https://qa.mandriva.com/show_bug.cgi?id=39994
- however, i encountered this problem long ago, but ignored it until recently as i was not so much depending on running remote java applications.

 

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
1: ssh -X someotheruser@localhost any_graphic_application
result : good interactivity and low latency
2: ssh -X someotheruser@localhost java_application
result : slow refresh, slow menu refresh, high latency with no apparent cpu usage.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
expected result : usable reaction times, at least when redirecting/using tcp socket x11 connections from the same machine via the loopback interface.
ACTUAL -
actual result : due to latency, any productive usage is impossible and painful.

ERROR MESSAGES/STACK TRACES THAT OCCUR :
see https://qa.mandriva.com/show_bug.cgi?id=39994 for some errors, however these errors are most likely not related with the latency problem, as these errors appear even when not using x11 tcp sockets , but  the applications are responsive.

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
No source, any java gui.
---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
None available.
Comments
EVALUATION Note that issues with tunneling through ssh connection (even for the local host) are well known, even for non-java apps. Java may suffer more because of high imaging content of the stream though.
16-10-2008