Guide | Vivaldi on 🐌 Old / Low End Computers

edwardp

@Zalex108 said in Guide | Vivaldi on Old / Low end Computers:

--enable-low-end-device-mode --single-process --process-per-site  --process-per-tab

I created a new desktop launcher in Linux on the newer of the two desktops (12 years old) and with these same flags, Vivaldi would not even launch. These flags might not apply to Linux.

I am otherwise trying Vivaldi now with Hardware Acceleration turned off, just to see if it makes any difference, speed-wise. As for YouTube, videos remain fine. I'm not noticing any degradation in the quality. The GPU is integrated.

VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RS780L [Radeon 3000] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])

Zalex108

@edwardp

Cannot assure right now, but IIR I've used them in Mint 17/19 months ago.

What distro are you using?

edwardp

@Zalex108

Zalex108

@edwardp

Oh!

Then IDK,
Maybe something changed in recent version, Distros or I'm mistaken.

In next weeks I would try again in Mint and see.

Haw did You notice they aren't working?

edwardp

@Zalex108 The UI didn't appear. I ran ps -e to see if there was a running job for Vivaldi, nothing. No hard drive activity either.

EDIT: I'm trying both Stable and Snapshot with hardware acceleration turned off, to see if it makes any difference, or perhaps speeds something up. Found one text-related issue with Stable that does not occur with Snapshot.

Zalex108

@edwardp

Try with

--enable-low-end-device-mode --process-per-site

edwardp

@Zalex108 Leaving the %U in place, it launched with those two switches.

I created separate desktop launchers. No issues so far with videos, but in checking to see if the text display issue I had with the Ars Technica comments still occurs (it does not), I noticed the quality of the images and the background on their site, is now degraded, whether or not Hardware Acceleration is enabled.

There is a flag #ignore-gpu-blocklist that overrides the software rendering list and enables GPU-acceleration on unsupported system configurations. I'm going to remove the two switches, enable this flag and relaunch it to see if there's a difference.

Hadden89

@Zalex108 You could hide the deprecated parts (which I presume to be broken) under a spoiler, so the guide is

cleaner to read

Zalex108

@Hadden89

It seens the %u is needed for Linux which knew later.
Don't know whether there's a deprecated one or depends on the OS and V Version.

For the moment the tested works on 7 and 11 here

Zalex108

@edwardp

The %U is mentioned here
https://forum.vivaldi.net/topic/57752/guide-v-dark-menus-background

It seems we have to test between the Flags and Switches till find the best set up.

edwardp

@Zalex108

@edwardp said in Guide | Vivaldi on Old / Low end Computers:

There is a flag #ignore-gpu-blocklist that overrides the software rendering list and enables GPU-acceleration on unsupported system configurations. I'm going to remove the two switches, enable this flag and relaunch it to see if there's a difference.

Looking at vivaldi://gpu afterwards, with the exception of the command line, initialization time and the log messages, the information was the same, with hardware acceleration enabled and with the flag either enabled or disabled.

This is the GPU:

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-3000-igp.c482

The only item it doesn't support is DirectX 11 and above. Seems to be a pretty basic GPU.

Zalex108

Here there's an Intel HD3000 and GMA 950
They work enough fine with those 2 Switches and the GPU Flag.

HW/A Enabled on both

Not deeply tested to find differences on the set up beyond what's mentioned in the first post.

edwardp

@Zalex108 With the switches and that flag enabled, with HW/A also enabled, the images on Ars Technica are the same, still degraded. No difference.

If the switches come off (normal Vivaldi launch) with HW/A enabled, whether or not that flag is enabled or disabled, the images are fine.

Zalex108

@edwardp said in Guide | Vivaldi on Old / Low end Computers:

Ars Technica

I'll check here

edwardp

@Zalex108 On a standard launch with HW/A enabled, with #ignore-gpu-blocklist enabled or disabled, the graphics information on vivaldi://gpu remains the same:

Graphics Feature Status
Canvas: Hardware accelerated
Canvas out-of-process rasterization: Disabled
Direct Rendering Display Compositor: Disabled
Compositing: Hardware accelerated
Multiple Raster Threads: Disabled
OpenGL: Enabled
Rasterization: Hardware accelerated
Raw Draw: Disabled
Video Decode: Hardware accelerated
Video Encode: Software only. Hardware acceleration disabled
Vulkan: Disabled
WebGL: Hardware accelerated
WebGL2: Hardware accelerated
WebGPU: Disabled

Zalex108

@edwardp

Then your's would not be on the Black List.

edwardp

@Zalex108 That's interesting. I figured today, it would have been, since it's exactly not a new GPU.

The motherboard in this desktop only has two closed PCI-Express x1 ports. In the past, I've tried using x1 video cards with either an nVIDIA or AMD Radeon chip on them, but Linux would not boot up into the desktop with either of them, X reported 'no screens found'. I am aware that some video cards only work with UEFI systems, not BIOS and that could be the reason why.

Zalex108

@edwardp

First notice about that limitation.

edwardp

@Zalex108 Here's one example:

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/graphics-card-with-uefi-only-bios-and-system-motherboard-non-uefi-will-not-post.230500/

The nVIDIA card that I tried, is also by Zotac and has nVIDIA's GT-710 GPU on it. If the x1 ports were 'open-ended', I'd be able to try an x16 video card.

My other desktop which is two years older than this, has an integrated nVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE / nForce 430 on that motherboard, but it has x1, x16 and legacy PCI ports. I installed a VisionTek video card with an AMD Radeon HD 5450 on it, in the x16 port and that card works perfectly.

Zalex108

Example of what TabUnloader/Suspender could do.

W11 + I5 5k + 8Gb

Settings

Specs

Magic