disable/enable gpu when running under electron

[BKeyport]

Does anyone know what this is about, and how to fix it?

[28358:1008/184025.188520:ERROR:object_proxy.cc(590)] Failed to call method: org.freedesktop.portal.Settings.Read: object_path= /org/freedesktop/portal/desktop: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.freedesktop.portal.Desktop was not provided by any .service files

-- while we're at it, can we modify base code to start up with the mesa-loader error disabled?

Thanks!

[sdetweil]

for the mesa loader thing add

export ELECTRON_DISABLE_GPU=1

in from of the npm start
if you use my install script, that's

~/MagicMirror/installers/mm.sh

the other error is an assumption on electrons part that there is a desktop control file there but it doesn't.exist on most of our systems anymore. nothing we can do about it

[BKeyport]

I'm aware how to fix it after using your installer - I'm suggesting we come up with some way to proactively disable it.

As for the other one, good to know it's something not able to be fixed. Darn assumptions...

[khassel]

this is coded here

I introduced this with the defensive approach, I'm open to doing it the other way around (e.g. with a new env var ELECTRON_ENABLE_GPU).

Opinions @sdetweil @rejas

[sdetweil]

@khassel I'm ok with enable_gpu
most wouldn't need it anyhow.

[jalibu]

Modules with CSS transition animations (like stock tickers) still need it.
Some MMM-Jast users report choppy rendering since 2.26.0

I would welcome a more user-friendly way to activate this option. Not all users know how to customize the startup commands and how to set ENV variables.

What about introducing .env files for configuration?

[khassel]

What about introducing .env files for configuration?

AFAIS this is built-in with nodejs version v20.6.0, electron is still on v18 so we would need an extra npm package for this (e.g. dotenv).

Beside this we have only 3 env vars: ELECTRON_DISABLE_GPU, MM_CONFIG_FILE, MM_PORT and the 2 last one are for running 2 mm instances from the same mm dir so it makes no sense to put them in an .env file.

So as long as we are talking about 1 variable I would prefer to add another line in package.json

        "scripts": {
                "start": "DISPLAY=\"${DISPLAY:=:0}\" ./node_modules/.bin/electron js/electron.js",
                "start:gpu": "ELECTRON_ENABLE_GPU=1 DISPLAY=\"${DISPLAY:=:0}\" ./node_modules/.bin/electron js/electron.js",
                "start:dev": "DISPLAY=\"${DISPLAY:=:0}\" ./node_modules/.bin/electron js/electron.js dev",

so users could start mm with npm run start:gpu if they need the gpu stuff. But maybe there are better ideas ...

[KristjanESPERANTO]

So as long as we are talking about 1 variable I would prefer to add another line in package.json

I like this idea 🙂 I just have a small change suggestion to avoid redundancy:

    "start:gpu": "ELECTRON_ENABLE_GPU=1 && npm run start",

[sdetweil]

this && won't work on windows. it's not a supported platform but we give instructions for it

[KristjanESPERANTO]

this && won't work on windows. it's not a supported platform but we give instructions for it

Does ELECTRON_ENABLE_GPU=1 (or export ELECTRON_ENABLE_GPU=1) work on Windows? If not I see no problem in using && here.

In the Windows part of the documentation we could add how to set the variable. It think it should be like this:

• PowerShell: $env:ELECTRON_ENABLE_GPU=1
• CMD: set ELECTRON_ENABLE_GPU=1

[khassel]

this works:

"start:gpu": "ELECTRON_ENABLE_GPU=1 npm start",

[khassel]

@jalibu is the above solution o.k. for you?

[jalibu]

@khassel to be honest, I did not really understand this issue with the GPU.
Does it occur with everyone who uses a Raspi with Bullseye? Is it an annoying warning or is it an error?

I'm asking because unfortunately, I don't have an MM myself at the moment and have never seen the problem.

Regardless of whether we opt-in or opt-out, I think the solution is ok. It would be great if we had a selection option in the installer scripts @sdetweil

[sdetweil]

@jalibu what would be the prompt for the user. 90% are installing mm for the first time, and don't know what a GPU is, or if they might use it. I am 7 years into using mm and not sure myself.

[codac]

@khassel Regarding Node_Version: 18.17.0 and YARN_Version 1.22.19 when starting up the docker I get the following message in the protocol:
ELECTRON_ENABLE_GPU: undefined
followed by
'VERSIONS: electron: undefined; used node: 20.14.0; installed node: 20.14.0; npm: 10.7.0; pm2: '
with parameter
ELECTRON_DISABLE_GPU = 1

How to fix that protocol message?

[sdetweil]

we changed the GPU setting to OFF by default. so the env string is
ELECTRON_ENABLE_GPU =1

[codac]

I have removed the "ELECTRON_DISABLE_GPU = 1" parameter (as you said its default now, but the protocol messages remain the same.

[sdetweil]

correct, you have to add

export ELECTRON_ENABLE_GPU=1

notice the output says enable

[sdetweil]

the docker deployment doesn't use electron
so it doesn't matter