Thumbnails

[malc]

I use KDE4 and Dolphin and came across a problem with thumbnails.  It would seem, from an internet search, that this is a common problem.  The kio_thumbnail process can sometimes runaway with itself and consume all your memory. Needless to say this puts things to sleep, in my case the plasma desktop which meant my machine was dead!

I could not find any cure on the net but I did run some experiments.  I first noticed this problem when opening a USB disk drive with all my archived movies on which had a folder with a couple of hundred sub folders. 

It would seem that with the information panel open on Dolphin it takes approx 20Mb per preview (!!!!!) and it builds these for everything in the current view so you can see how a couple of hundred folders can cause a problem.

The cure is simple, switch off the information panel.  Previews can be useful especially for photos so the way round this is to use the preview button.  If you need the additional textual information then show properties for the file instead.

[marian]

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,67879.0.html

[malc]

The problem was with thumbnailing still images not video.

[marian]

I first noticed this problem when opening a USB disk drive with all my archived movies on which had a folder with a couple of hundred sub folders.

I see now. But as you were talking about movies I thought MpalyerThumbs caused you that trouble.
Sorry 

[d_fiant]

I too just came across the problem with kio_thumbnail. There were upto 30 instances of it running consuming upto 70% of my CPU.

I found the problem was folders that had a mix of video and images and the thumbnailer trying to decide what thumbnails to use for that folder with the mix.

I deselected 'Directories in Dolphin via Settings > Dolphin Preferences . General > Previews. Also i swapped the video previewer from Video Files (kffmpegthumbnailer) to Video Files (MPlayerThumbs) and now my system doesn't come to a grinding halt with 30 instances of kio_thumbnailer open and I can navigate through large folders with video and images without a drama.

[shrinivas]

I too just came across the problem with kio_thumbnail. There were upto 30 instances of it running consuming upto 70% of my CPU.

I found the problem was folders that had a mix of video and images and the thumbnailer trying to decide what thumbnails to use for that folder with the mix.

I deselected 'Directories in Dolphin via Settings > Dolphin Preferences . General > Previews. Also i swapped the video previewer from Video Files (kffmpegthumbnailer) to Video Files (MPlayerThumbs) and now my system doesn't come to a grinding halt with 30 instances of kio_thumbnailer open and I can navigate through large folders with video and images without a drama.

that doesn't seem to solve the problem, any other solution ?