LyX ⇒ Typing delayed, Split screen, Lyx laggy, 100% CPU, Linux,

[Spinifex]

Hi all.

I am using Lyx 2.1.3 on Fedora 22 (Linux) on Gnome.

Problem is: When typing my content there is a delay in my writing appearing in Lyx. I can finish typing on the keyboard and continue watching Lyx input the characters for another 5, 6 or 8 seconds. It depends on how fast I'm typing.

The problem also only seems to happen when I have split screen enabled. The typing delay is less pronounced with single screen.

In general, typing responsiveness is very 'laggy' and I can only think it has happened recently. I do not recall having this problem a month ago. (Unless someone can enlighten me.)

The phenomenon doesn't happen in any other package installed on my system, just in Lyx.

It is driving me crazy. I can't write or edit like this.

I have reinstalled an entire operating system and upgraded from Fedora 21 to Fedora 22 and the problem persists.

Questions:

1. Is there a Word Limit or Character Limit to the amount of data that Lyx can handle? And as such, is it possible that I have exceeded this word limit which is why Lyx is having a 'freak out' and delaying in entering my typing on the screen?

The document I am working on has 316380 words / 1674671 Characters incl blanks. Is this too many? Would this be the case? I would think not but I am banging my head against a brick wall trying to figure out what is wrong so lots of things are beginning to seem reasonable to my addled mind.

2. I am using split screen. Is it possible that Lyx is unable to handle a document with 31680 words and input in two or three different locations within the document. This is essential for editing my work. If Lyx can't handle it, then, well, I don't know what to do. I've gotten really attached to Lyx and the prospect of having to use another 'processor' is not very appealing.

Has anyone else encountered this phenomenon?

Suggestions appreciated.

Please be gentle. Frustrated Novice here.

Ta.

[StarValkyrie]

The largest file I've used LyX for Windows on was 150k+ word and that was while running other programs at the same time and I haven't had any lag at all - it's ability to handle large documents without lagging on autosave is the main reason I use it. So let's have you try a few things.

1. Does it lag like that with any document or just that 1? If not, can you take a different document and copy-paste its body text until you get to about 350k? Then does it start to lag too? If yes, skip #2.

2. If not, there may be a problem in that one document. What if you export your document to LaTeX and then open whatever LaTeX processor came bundled with your LaTeX installation? Does it compile there or give you errors? (If it gives errors, please post them).

3. Clean up the computer - run CCleaner, run a serious virus scan - see if that helps.

4. If not, I'd then uninstall LyX, the LaTeX installation and LyX profile and reinstall and see if it works.

5. If none of the above get you closer to a solution, report the problem on the LyX bug tracker.

[Spinifex]

Lightbulb moment! Thank you. That makes sense.

I copied and pasted another document, about 600,000 numbers, or 6292255 characters, and it worked just fine ... with only ONE pane open. But when I opened the document in a second pane (view), it slowed to a crawl.

It is as if Lyx is unable to allocate enough memory to run two 'instances' of the same document concurrently.

I think I'll have to file a 'bug' or 'feature expansion' request. The whole point of having my large documents open in an second pane is so I can work on two sections concurrently (I'm sorting chronological information into order and writing narrative to correspond to that information).

Any more tips. I wish it was as simple as making Lyx a resource hog... I jump on that train in an instance, buy more ram, etc... I don't care, as long as I can have that speed back and get rid of the lag.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

[StarValkyrie]

It does sound like a problem with the document size then. I'd suggest that you separate each section into its own document and then make a master document where you input (Insert menu>File) each of the section documents in the correct order to put the whole thing together again. That's the way LaTeX is designed to work with large/complex documents. You can use File menu>New Window to put the sections in windows instead of tabs so you can split screen them.

[Spinifex]

... You can use File menu>New Window to put the sections in windows instead of tabs so you can split screen them.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

This gets me out of a bind. I can run with this.

I don't know WHY, why in the hell I didn't think of doing that sooner. I just wanted to keep everything together so I don't get 'out of order' but, this is a really good suggestion.

Thanks StarValkyrie. Life saver...