xterm/xfce4-terminal don't always display output immediately - have to hit "<enter>" twice

[pierro78]

Problem description

it s similar to termux/termux-app#1695 but with the xterm/xfce4-terminal termux packages

xterm/xfce4-terminal don't always display output immediately

it occurs kind of seldomly

like when I "cd" to a directory the new shell prompt with a "$" is not displayed : I have to hit "enter" twice and then the "$" of the shell prompt is displayed (2 "$" on 2 lines actually)

also happen but more seldomly when I type some character ... I have to type a second character like a "space" for the 1st character to appear ...

Steps to reproduce

from xterm/xfce4-terminal termux packages, type :

cd a

=>
no shell prompt displayed
(occurs kind of seldomly ...)

Expected behavior

when I type

cd a

I would expect a "$" shell prompt to be always displayed like :

~ $ cd a
~/a $

System information

Application version:
0.108
Packages CPU architecture:
aarch64
Subscribed repositories:
# sources.list
deb https://grimler.se/termux-packages-24/ stable main
# x11-repo (sources.list.d/x11.list)
deb https://ipfs.io/ipns/k51qzi5uqu5dgu3homski160l4t4bmp52vb6dbgxb5bda90rewnwg64wnkwxj4 x11 main
# science-repo (sources.list.d/science.list)
deb https://grimler.se/science-packages-24 science stable
# game-repo (sources.list.d/game.list)
deb https://grimler.se/game-packages-24 games stable
Updatable packages:
All packages up to date
Android version:
11
Kernel build information:
Linux localhost 4.14.190-perf+ termux/x11-packages#1 SMP PREEMPT Thu Feb 25 20:38:28 JST 2021 aarch64 Android
Device manufacturer:
Sony
Device model:
J9210
~ $

[pierro78]

wow I've set :

export TERM=xterm

and it looks like the problem hasn't reoccured yet ... let met continue the testing !!

[pierro78]

wow I've set :

export TERM=xterm

and it looks like the problem hasn't reoccured yet ... let met continue the testing !!

no it occured again :

I typed "Ctrl p" to go back to my previous shell command : several times the first "Ctrl p" was not effective ... had to type a second "Ctrl p" and I saw the "n-2" shell command I have typed in my command history (the "n-1" command was not displayed)

[RalfWerner]

Does your problem occur only when using your laptop (windows X server) or in standalone mode too?
yes only when I use xterm/xfce4-terminal from the termux/x11-packages repo
the standalone termux shell command line works fine either directly or from ssh client ...

Problems with Windows XServers will probably be able to solve no one from the Termux team. This also applies to XServer, which are used "behind" the XClients and whose sources are not described or maintained.
The termux-x11 repo is mainly maintained by @xeffyr, but he not working on Windows-Xservers and if that VNC.

If I understood your problem correctly, you use an XServer on the Windows Laptop but not listed that in your problem description and it is not reproducible on your mobile device?!

[pierro78]

@RalfWerner I use termux vnc server (tigervnc server - https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Graphical_Environment ) ... I am not sure if it's from the main termux repo or the termux-x11 repo ??

[pierro78]

PS :
I thought it would not occur from xterm/xfce4-terminal from the proot but it did occur ... so maybe it s related to the termux tigervnc server ?? ... let met test more with the proot tigervnc server ...

[pierro78]

PS :
I thought it would not occur from xterm/xfce4-terminal from the proot but it did occur ... so maybe it s related to the termux tigervnc server ?? ... let met test more with the proot tigervnc server ...

yes it s working fine from the proot tigervnc server ... I already used it for about a day or 2 and haven't noticed the issue so the problem could well be related to the termux tigervnc server package (not the termux xterm/xfce4-terminal packages)

[RalfWerner]

@pierro78 I have discovered changes in tigervnc in the last month and in repo 2 days ago, but no bugs as you describe.
In addition, you talk about proot, which has nothing to do with X11. If you use it to install a distro, you are no more in Termux Context but possibly in Ubuntu/Debian. If you use proot to operate Termux, you only reduce performance (same in distro).

You can also use the XClient aterm without proot and if you want to use your laptop as XServer and it is started, it is sufficient to specify the correct xterm -display ... Address at XClient Start.
If you are using VNC, a corresponding service (Xvnc/ process/port) is to start in Termux or distro and connect the port to a Viewer (not part of termux). Which Viewer you used on your laptop you have not described (and I never done)!

yes it s working fine from the proot tigervnc server

So be happy about the stable solution, if this gives you sufficient performance
Presumably, I can not help you more because I only use VNC on the mobile devices (see wiki) and it is only my 2nd choice.

[pierro78]

Presumably, I can not help you more because I only use VNC on the mobile devices (see wiki) and it is only my 2nd choice.

@RalfWerner Yeah as I use a laptop to connect to my phone (see https://www.reddit.com/r/termux/comments/mfpwry/termux_tripled_the_speed_of_this_12yo_laptop/ ), the vncviewer on the laptop is probably better than X11 server on the laptop because vnc is good at minimizing network latencies between 2 devices
(X11 protocol is not very good at minimizing network latencies between 2 devices ... that's why NoMachine invented NX protocol ... Microsoft also invented Remote Desktop Protocol ... )

... but if your X11 server is on the same device as your X11 client apps then this local android X11 server (I think there is a decent X11 server on android, right ?) is better than local vncviewer + headless vnc server ... (no network latencies to be minimized and this avoids a "layer" (vncserver) that is slowing down the display process flow and eats resources ... which can be avoided like you are saying by using a local android server so that X11 client apps connect directly to it if I get you right)

[pierro78]

PS :

@RalfWerner

I am using a prooted distro (debian with vivaldi, chromium, ...) but I also am running the following termux programs : vncserver, xrdp, openbox and xfce4-terminal to avoid proot overhead ( see this comment : https://www.reddit.com/r/termux/comments/mfpwry/termux_tripled_the_speed_of_this_12yo_laptop/gsu67dh/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 )

[RalfWerner]

Since you are happy with your laptop/mobile combination in a 'proot distro` you can close this issue again.
When I work on my laptop, I also use the XClients on this device. On the mobile device I prefer X11.

[Yisus7u7]

This problem happens because there is no active composer.

just activate composition and voila