kernel-packages team mailing list archive

[dronus <1447052@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Public bug reported:

Even for the newest Ubuntu, even on memory rich high end systems
sporting fast SSD drives, the system can be driven into long time
swapping state with unresponsiveness (jerky mouse movements or no
movement at all, no reaction to clicks and keypresses) easily by naive
everyday operations. The state may last for hours depending on the
applications behaviour, only workaround is to pull the plug. This is
akward. Many users often have a quite messy desktop with several
applications opened at once, hence a large risk of data loss if the
system has to be restarted in an unresponsive condition.

This should not be blamed on bad behaveing applications alone, as there
are a lot of naive applications around, and it is not the right of some
desktop application to bring down the whole system.

Some example "mistakes" a "naive" user may do, the list may be easily
extended endless:

-Open an oversized image or a long list of images in Gimp
-Mark an entire column in Libreoffice Calc and fill down with some complex formula
-Open a long collection of PDFs at once
-Accidently open some large ASCII database- or log file with Libreoffice Writer
-Pull up interactive sliders in Blender related to detail refinements 
-...


I guess it is not easy to work around, but the current state is unbearable in my opinion.

This may also have security implications, as unresponsiveness prevent
manual entering of screen locks, shotdown or standby, which may leave
the machine unlocked, if the user leaves the unresponsive machine and it
then recovers.

** Affects: linux (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel
Packages, which is subscribed to linux in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1447052

Title:
  System should never drive into unresponsive swapping by naive end-user
  handling operations

Status in linux package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Even for the newest Ubuntu, even on memory rich high end systems
  sporting fast SSD drives, the system can be driven into long time
  swapping state with unresponsiveness (jerky mouse movements or no
  movement at all, no reaction to clicks and keypresses) easily by naive
  everyday operations. The state may last for hours depending on the
  applications behaviour, only workaround is to pull the plug. This is
  akward. Many users often have a quite messy desktop with several
  applications opened at once, hence a large risk of data loss if the
  system has to be restarted in an unresponsive condition.

  This should not be blamed on bad behaveing applications alone, as
  there are a lot of naive applications around, and it is not the right
  of some desktop application to bring down the whole system.

  Some example "mistakes" a "naive" user may do, the list may be easily
  extended endless:

  -Open an oversized image or a long list of images in Gimp
  -Mark an entire column in Libreoffice Calc and fill down with some complex formula
  -Open a long collection of PDFs at once
  -Accidently open some large ASCII database- or log file with Libreoffice Writer
  -Pull up interactive sliders in Blender related to detail refinements 
  -...

  
  I guess it is not easy to work around, but the current state is unbearable in my opinion.

  This may also have security implications, as unresponsiveness prevent
  manual entering of screen locks, shotdown or standby, which may leave
  the machine unlocked, if the user leaves the unresponsive machine and
  it then recovers.

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1447052/+subscriptions