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[Bug 1465504] [NEW] Disk Operation Storms (ext4)

 

Public bug reported:

I tried an installation with the ext4 file system on the system partition. Sometimes - once a day or every two days - I had what I call a disk operation storm: a lot of disk activity on the physical hard disk, unresponsive mouse cursor, bad performance for some seconds. These are usually symptoms of too much load or swap activity.
  Further investigation did not reveal any system load during the disk operation storms nor any swap activity in the system monitor. There wasn't even displayed any disk activity in the system monitor while the external hard disks LED blinked to signal activity and made the usual sounds of a lot of small synced disc io operations.

My solution to that problem was to revert back to the ext3 file system.
You can do this by changing the corresponding entry in /etc/fstab from
ext4 to ext3 as they are backwards compatible. Since that change and the
reboot I have not again experienced a disk operating storm. The ext3
file system is journaled, all purpose and well suited to desktop
operation.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.04
Package: linux-image-3.19.0-15-generic 3.19.0-15.15 [modified: boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-15-generic]
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.19.0-15.15-generic 3.19.3
Uname: Linux 3.19.0-15-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
ApportVersion: 2.17.2-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER        PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0:  mt         1449 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Tue Jun 16 08:09:02 2015
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=df8c609c-a8cf-4e53-ae6d-c754aa1ead9b
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-06-08 (7 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 15.04 "Vivid Vervet" - Release amd64 (20150422)
MachineType: Apple Inc. MacBook4,1
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3 splash quiet
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.19.0-15-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.19.0-15-generic  N/A
 linux-firmware                             1.143
SourcePackage: linux
UdevLog: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/var/log/udev'
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 02/09/08
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.bios.version: MB41.88Z.00C1.B00.0802091535
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: Mac-F22788A9
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.board.version: PVT
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset Tag#
dmi.chassis.type: 2
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-F22788A9
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvrMB41.88Z.00C1.B00.0802091535:bd02/09/08:svnAppleInc.:pnMacBook4,1:pvr1.0:rvnAppleInc.:rnMac-F22788A9:rvrPVT:cvnAppleInc.:ct2:cvrMac-F22788A9:
dmi.product.name: MacBook4,1
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Inc.

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


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug vivid

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1465504

Title:
  Disk Operation Storms (ext4)

Status in linux package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I tried an installation with the ext4 file system on the system partition. Sometimes - once a day or every two days - I had what I call a disk operation storm: a lot of disk activity on the physical hard disk, unresponsive mouse cursor, bad performance for some seconds. These are usually symptoms of too much load or swap activity.
    Further investigation did not reveal any system load during the disk operation storms nor any swap activity in the system monitor. There wasn't even displayed any disk activity in the system monitor while the external hard disks LED blinked to signal activity and made the usual sounds of a lot of small synced disc io operations.

  My solution to that problem was to revert back to the ext3 file
  system. You can do this by changing the corresponding entry in
  /etc/fstab from ext4 to ext3 as they are backwards compatible. Since
  that change and the reboot I have not again experienced a disk
  operating storm. The ext3 file system is journaled, all purpose and
  well suited to desktop operation.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.04
  Package: linux-image-3.19.0-15-generic 3.19.0-15.15 [modified: boot/vmlinuz-3.19.0-15-generic]
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.19.0-15.15-generic 3.19.3
  Uname: Linux 3.19.0-15-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: wl
  ApportVersion: 2.17.2-0ubuntu1
  Architecture: amd64
  AudioDevicesInUse:
   USER        PID ACCESS COMMAND
   /dev/snd/controlC0:  mt         1449 F.... pulseaudio
  CurrentDesktop: Unity
  Date: Tue Jun 16 08:09:02 2015
  HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=df8c609c-a8cf-4e53-ae6d-c754aa1ead9b
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-06-08 (7 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 15.04 "Vivid Vervet" - Release amd64 (20150422)
  MachineType: Apple Inc. MacBook4,1
  ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
  ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3 splash quiet
  RelatedPackageVersions:
   linux-restricted-modules-3.19.0-15-generic N/A
   linux-backports-modules-3.19.0-15-generic  N/A
   linux-firmware                             1.143
  SourcePackage: linux
  UdevLog: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/var/log/udev'
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
  dmi.bios.date: 02/09/08
  dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
  dmi.bios.version: MB41.88Z.00C1.B00.0802091535
  dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
  dmi.board.name: Mac-F22788A9
  dmi.board.vendor: Apple Inc.
  dmi.board.version: PVT
  dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset Tag#
  dmi.chassis.type: 2
  dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
  dmi.chassis.version: Mac-F22788A9
  dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvrMB41.88Z.00C1.B00.0802091535:bd02/09/08:svnAppleInc.:pnMacBook4,1:pvr1.0:rvnAppleInc.:rnMac-F22788A9:rvrPVT:cvnAppleInc.:ct2:cvrMac-F22788A9:
  dmi.product.name: MacBook4,1
  dmi.product.version: 1.0
  dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Inc.

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