perf(plugins): run scheduled updates off the render thread

plugin update() executed inline in the render loop — execute_update's
internal thread.join(timeout=30) blocked it, so one slow plugin HTTP
fetch froze scrolling for the whole fetch (up to 30s; DNS-retry storms
made this a regular occurrence on flaky networks).

Scheduling stays on the render thread and keeps every existing gate
(enabled, circuit breaker, can_execute, interval); due updates are now
enqueued to a single background worker (serialized — same one-at-a-time
execution as before, no thundering herd). RUNNING is set at enqueue so
can_execute blocks re-entry alongside the pending-set dedup.

Per-plugin locks make the old implicit update/display no-overlap
guarantee explicit: the worker holds the plugin's lock through its
update; the display side try-locks and, when the plugin is mid-update,
holds the last frame for that iteration — reported as success so a
mid-update skip never advances the rotation. Unlike before, the
guarantee now also holds across the post-timeout window (previously the
lingering update thread overlapped display()). Deadlock-free by
construction: the worker takes one lock; display never blocks.

Timeout semantics unchanged (lingering daemon thread documented).
Kill switch: plugin_system.synchronous_updates: true restores the
inline path.

8 new concurrency tests (non-blocking scheduler, overlap assertion
under a hammering display loop, lock release on failure/timeout paths,
dedup, kill switch); 4-min devpi soak clean (updates completing,
rotation advancing, no stuck RUNNING states).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01FqzC1nzTWL4kaqgMaQZFam
This commit is contained in:
Chuck
2026-07-12 19:59:29 -04:00
co-authored by Claude Fable 5
parent 05e7c43b27
commit c32aaf02e5
4 changed files with 422 additions and 69 deletions
+68 -28
View File
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ Entry point: :func:`main` — instantiates :class:`DisplayController` and calls
import time
import os
import json
from contextlib import contextmanager
from pathlib import Path
from typing import Dict, Any, List, Optional, Callable
from datetime import datetime
@@ -839,6 +840,30 @@ class DisplayController:
except Exception: # pylint: disable=broad-except
logger.exception("Error running scheduled plugin updates")
@contextmanager
def _display_lock_or_skip(self, plugin_id):
"""Try-lock guard keeping a plugin's display() off its in-flight update().
Yields True when display may run (lock held, released on exit) or
when no lock support exists (older plugin manager). Yields False when
the plugin's update() is currently executing on the background
worker — the caller should treat the frame as displayed (the panel
holds the last pushed frame) rather than as a plugin failure, so a
mid-update skip never advances the rotation.
"""
pm = self.plugin_manager
if not pm or not hasattr(pm, 'get_plugin_lock') or not plugin_id:
yield True
return
lock = pm.get_plugin_lock(plugin_id)
if not lock.acquire(blocking=False):
yield False
return
try:
yield True
finally:
lock.release()
_FOLLOWER_SEND_INTERVAL = 1.0 / 90 # raw bytes are cheap; 90fps > follower render rate
def _follower_rebuild_scroll_image(self) -> None:
@@ -1836,25 +1861,30 @@ class DisplayController:
)
_accepts_display_mode = self._plugin_accepts_display_mode[_cache_key]
# Use PluginExecutor for safe execution with timeout
if self.plugin_manager and hasattr(self.plugin_manager, 'plugin_executor'):
result = self.plugin_manager.plugin_executor.execute_display(
manager_to_display,
plugin_id,
force_clear=self.force_change,
display_mode=active_mode if _accepts_display_mode else None
)
# execute_display returns bool, convert to expected format
if result:
result = True # Success
with self._display_lock_or_skip(plugin_id) as can_display:
if not can_display:
# update() in flight on the worker — hold
# the last frame; not a plugin failure
result = True
elif self.plugin_manager and hasattr(self.plugin_manager, 'plugin_executor'):
# Use PluginExecutor for safe execution with timeout
result = self.plugin_manager.plugin_executor.execute_display(
manager_to_display,
plugin_id,
force_clear=self.force_change,
display_mode=active_mode if _accepts_display_mode else None
)
# execute_display returns bool, convert to expected format
if result:
result = True # Success
else:
result = False # Failed
else:
result = False # Failed
else:
# Fallback to direct call if executor not available
if _accepts_display_mode:
result = manager_to_display.display(display_mode=active_mode, force_clear=self.force_change)
else:
result = manager_to_display.display(force_clear=self.force_change)
# Fallback to direct call if executor not available
if _accepts_display_mode:
result = manager_to_display.display(display_mode=active_mode, force_clear=self.force_change)
else:
result = manager_to_display.display(force_clear=self.force_change)
logger.debug(f"display() returned: {result} (type: {type(result)})")
# Check if display() returned a boolean (new behavior)
@@ -2139,11 +2169,16 @@ class DisplayController:
while True:
try:
# Pass display_mode to maintain sticky manager state
if _accepts_display_mode:
result = manager_to_display.display(display_mode=active_mode, force_clear=False)
else:
result = manager_to_display.display(force_clear=False)
with self._display_lock_or_skip(plugin_id) as can_display:
if can_display:
# Pass display_mode to maintain sticky manager state
if _accepts_display_mode:
result = manager_to_display.display(display_mode=active_mode, force_clear=False)
else:
result = manager_to_display.display(force_clear=False)
else:
# update() in flight — hold the last frame
result = True
if isinstance(result, bool) and not result:
logger.debug("Display returned False, breaking early")
break
@@ -2203,11 +2238,16 @@ class DisplayController:
break
try:
# Pass display_mode to maintain sticky manager state
if _accepts_display_mode:
result = manager_to_display.display(display_mode=active_mode, force_clear=False)
else:
result = manager_to_display.display(force_clear=False)
with self._display_lock_or_skip(plugin_id) as can_display:
if can_display:
# Pass display_mode to maintain sticky manager state
if _accepts_display_mode:
result = manager_to_display.display(display_mode=active_mode, force_clear=False)
else:
result = manager_to_display.display(force_clear=False)
else:
# update() in flight — hold the last frame
result = True
if isinstance(result, bool) and not result:
# For dynamic duration plugins, don't exit on False - keep looping
# until cycle is complete or max duration is reached