100% CPU usage per restart of i3 with compton

[AndreasBackx]

Platform: Arch Linux 4.11.2-1 x86_64

GPU, drivers, and screen setup: Nvidia GTX 1070, proprietary drivers 381.22. 2 monitors, 1 landscape, 1 portrait both 1440p 60Hz both configured with xrandr.

Compton version: v0.1_beta2.5

Compton configuration: no changes made.

Steps of reproduction

Add the following configuration line to i3's config:

exec_always compton

Restart i3 using mod+shift+R and have top open. Now watch as compton starts to slowly consume your CPU.

Expected behavior

For compton to not eat my CPU.

Current Behavior & Other details

CPU gets eaten.

I just switched out my GPU from an AMD RX 480 to a GTX 1070. This behaviour was not present when I was using the RX 480.

[ChunkLightTuna]

Compton 0.1_beta2.5-8 Arch 4.12.3-1 x86_64 GTX980 on Nvidia drivers 384.59 One monitor portrait, one landscape

[Mel34]

exec_always compton

well no wonder, you start another instance of compton every time you restart i3 change it to exec compton

[AndreasBackx]

Well yes, but this isn't a problem on AMD. Shouldn't the compositor know whether it is already running? Making a configuration change also requires you to manually restart compton instead of just restarting i3.

[Mel34]

You don't even deamonize the process. The problem is sitting somewhere between the chair and the keyboard.

[ChunkLightTuna]

@pmargeti34 Comments are for resolving problems, please be civil.

[mrvik]

Same problem here!

• WM: i3
• Processor: Intel Atom N450
• Driver in use: i915 and xf86-video-intel
• Config (also .xinitrc): dotfiles (little modification to the defaults)

After connecting a new monitor and configuring it via xrandr, compton goes to 100% CPU usage. It happens also when starting X (startx) with the secondary monitor plugged. This issue is not present on my mainframe (AMDGPU).

Asciinema recording of the issue

The call to feh that appear on the terminal is not related to the issue but after killing compton the background image got crazy.