I HAD 1.8 installed, it compiles slowly, then the compiled basic default window takes forever to show up after being compiled. I do not remember Lazarus being that slow.
I went into the setting to eliminate the windows that ( i do not know what names they were given) one uses to work on when running, and all I seen was get rid of IDE when running, so I had to use that, when I selected it, then ran the default window to get a look see, the IDE and everything associated to it went crazy. cycling opening and closing, minimize restore, if you like. it wasn't until I opened a terminal to kill Lazarus to stop it from doing that is when it stopped doing that. I guess it didn't want to die.
Slackware 14.2 Lazarus 1.8 and the needed fpc fpc-source. I just removed it, and am installing the later one as I type this. Just felt obligated to tell you people at Lazarus this information. As I removed it and no longer am not going to use it. I did not submit a bug report because I will not be able to open it up and do whatever I might need to do so I can get a ideal what to write up on it other than what I already did.