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[Bug 1430620] Re: gnome-terminal writes excessively to /tmp (affecting SSD drives)

To: desktop-packages@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From: Egmont Koblinger <egmont@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 13 Mar 2015 11:15:39 -0000
Reply-to: Bug 1430620 <1430620@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sender: bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Speed

Encryption added about 10% to the required CPU usage. Now, with in-
memory scrollback, would you keep it encrypted or not? If so, you'd keep
wasting CPU. If not, someone will come along and complain that it's been
written to disk (swap) unencrypted and it leaks data. But other apps
also can write their data to swap, and perhaps the whole swap partition
should be encrypted (which is not free either), but it's out of vte's
control. I really don't know the answer to this question.

> battery life
> energy use

Apart from encryption's CPU usage, do you have further information about
it? What's the ratio between 1 second of CPU vs. 0.01 second of HDD
usage? (More concretely: between numbers that correspond to VTE
processing a given amount of scrollback vs. writing that amount of data
to HDD or SSD?)

> SSD life

See above, I still believe it's a non-issue.

> privacy

Solved in vte-0.40.

I perfectly understand your feelings towards storing the scrollback in
memory. What could push this feature request higher up on my priority
list is if you could also support it with evidence (data).

It still looks to me that the typical amount that vte adds to cpu/energy
usage, ssd life etc. are way below to be worried about. And if we're
worried about cpu/energy, we should probably start the optimization
somewhere else.

For start, could you please apply the patch and let me know how much
data your g-t processes during let's say an average week? I have also
installed it (replacing /tmp with my home dir, in case I'll reboot) and
will share my numbers.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1430620

Title:
  gnome-terminal writes excessively to /tmp (affecting SSD drives)

Status in vte package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  1) In a gnome-terminal run "sudo fatrace -f W -t" (filter for writes plus timestamps).
  2) In another window cat a file to the screen.
  3) Observe the activity.  I see large churn on the /tmp partitition:

  20:41:24.158837 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.158837 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.159268 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.159268 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.159674 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.159674 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.160171 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.160171 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.160603 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.160603 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.160919 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.160919 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.161093 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.161093 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.161545 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.161545 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.161999 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.161999 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.162447 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.162447 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.162825 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.162825 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.162899 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.162899 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.163366 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.163366 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.163817 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.163817 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.164331 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.164331 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.164729 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.164729 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.164729 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.164729 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.165219 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.165219 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.165674 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.165674 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.166128 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.166128 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.166587 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.166587 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.166660 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.166660 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.167056 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.167056 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.167529 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.167529 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.167949 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.167949 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.168451 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.168451 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.168524 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.168524 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.168889 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.168889 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.169364 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.169364 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.169808 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.169808 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.170281 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.170281 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.170354 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.170354 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.170744 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.170744 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.171222 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.171222 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.171699 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.171699 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.172114 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.172114 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.172298 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.172298 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.172617 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.172617 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.173055 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.173055 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.173528 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.173528 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.173997 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.173997 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.174286 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.174286 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.174470 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.174470 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.174908 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.174908 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.175387 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.175387 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.175808 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.175808 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.176240 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.176240 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.176240 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.176240 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.176752 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.176752 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.177217 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.177217 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.177659 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.177659 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.178119 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.178119 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.178119 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.178119 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted)
  20:41:24.178584 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.178584 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.179053 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.179053 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted)
  20:41:24.184620 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted)
  20:41:24.184620 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted)
  20:41:24.196022 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132753 (deleted)
  20:41:24.196022 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132753 (deleted)
  20:41:24.196022 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted)
  20:41:24.196022 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted)
  20:41:24.196503 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted)
  20:41:24.196503 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted)

  Related, but not the same:
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vte/+bug/865082?comments=all

  The excessive churn eventually gets flushed to disk, affecting the
  lifetime of SSD drives.

  
  Normal gnome terminal operation (no cat) results in endless streams of:
  20:44:25.107540 gnome-terminal(23352): RW /tmp/#132355 (deleted)
  20:44:25.138015 gnome-terminal(23352): RW /tmp/#132753 (deleted)
  20:44:25.138015 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132753 (deleted)
  20:44:25.138108 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted)
  20:44:25.138108 gnome-terminal(23352): RW /tmp/#132355 (deleted)
  20:44:25.168764 gnome-terminal(23352): RW /tmp/#132355 (deleted)
  20:44:25.168764 gnome-terminal(23352): RW /tmp/#132753 (deleted)
  20:44:25.168764 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132753 (deleted)
  20:44:25.168764 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted)

  
  132753 is NOT the process number of the gnome-terminal.

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Follow ups

Re: [Bug 1430620] Re: gnome-terminal writes excessively to /tmp (affecting SSD drives)
From: Bryce Nesbitt, 2015-03-13
References

[Bug 1430620] [NEW] gnome-terminal writes excessively to /tmp (affecting SSD drives)
From: Bryce Nesbitt, 2015-03-11