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Message #153292
[Bug 1486997] Re: Copying a large file causes user interface to stop responding
apport information
** Tags added: apport-collected
** Description changed:
If you run, for example, `cp file1 file1-copy` with several GB of data,
give it a minute, then the user interface stops responding and the mouse
stops moving. There are occasional glimmers of response but it's like
watching a video one frame at a time. I would expect the user interface
to continue to work barring the occasional interruption. When the copy
completes, or if you can interrupt it, the user interface works normally
again.
Despite the specific title, which I'll explain next, the command you use
doesn't matter. Any heavy and prolonged disc activity does it.
Ironically, running `ubuntu-bug kernel` to report this problem caused
the mouse and UI to freeze for a few seconds. Scheduled backups also
cause it.
So, why the specific title? This has been reported by other user and
myself before but in more general terms. Those reports are drowned in
comments by frustrated users clutching at straws to the point where it's
hard to see where they're going. I thought it might be helpful to limit
this bug report to a very specific and easily testable example so that
we don't get side-tracked working around what is probably a kernel
scheduling issue.
This is not an isolated or new problem. I've been using ubuntu since
2008 on several different machines and it's always been a problem. Maybe
it's a little worse now, maybe not. In any case, there's no point
bisecting the kernel as it's not a regression.
The problem also affects the terminal. If you switch to another TTY the
log-in takes ages, and usually doesn't complete until the heavy disk
activity has finished. This can be extremely frustrating when you don't
know which process is making mischief and you want to use a terminal to
find it and stop it.
It is possible to alleviate the problem by disabling swap. I did this on
the hunch that processes were being frozen while memory was paged in
from the disk. Unfortunately my current workload makes this solution
impractical. What's odd is that the problem occurs even when there's
several GB of memory to spare. After re-enabling swap you need to wait a
little before re-testing to reproduce the problem.
I've also tried other kernel schedulers. None help.
I'm a software developer and happy to get my hands dirty, but sadly I'm
quite unfamiliar with the kernel.
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: linux-image-3.16.0-45-generic 3.16.0-45.60~14.04.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.16.0-45.60~14.04.1-generic 3.16.7-ckt14
Uname: Linux 3.16.0-45-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.12
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Thu Aug 20 12:21:59 2015
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-07-13 (37 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20150218.1)
SourcePackage: linux-lts-utopic
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
+ ---
+ ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.19
+ Architecture: amd64
+ AudioDevicesInUse:
+ USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
+ /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: phill 2715 F...m pulseaudio
+ /dev/snd/controlC0: phill 2715 F.... pulseaudio
+ CurrentDesktop: Unity
+ DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
+ HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=fab564c9-5c8a-439f-8b9d-a10c8a4b75ad
+ InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-07-13 (165 days ago)
+ InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20150218.1)
+ MachineType: System manufacturer V-P5G45
+ Package: linux (not installed)
+ ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
+ ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.16.0-56-generic root=/dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-root ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
+ ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.16.0-56.75~14.04.1-generic 3.16.7-ckt20
+ RelatedPackageVersions:
+ linux-restricted-modules-3.16.0-56-generic N/A
+ linux-backports-modules-3.16.0-56-generic N/A
+ linux-firmware 1.127.19
+ RfKill:
+ 0: phy0: Wireless LAN
+ Soft blocked: no
+ Hard blocked: no
+ Tags: trusty
+ Uname: Linux 3.16.0-56-generic x86_64
+ UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
+ UserGroups: adm cdrom dip libvirtd lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
+ _MarkForUpload: True
+ dmi.bios.date: 05/18/2009
+ dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
+ dmi.bios.version: 0405
+ dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
+ dmi.board.name: V-P5G45
+ dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
+ dmi.board.version: Rev 1.xx
+ dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
+ dmi.chassis.type: 3
+ dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
+ dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
+ dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr0405:bd05/18/2009:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnV-P5G45:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnV-P5G45:rvrRev1.xx:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
+ dmi.product.name: V-P5G45
+ dmi.product.version: System Version
+ dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer
** Attachment added: "AlsaInfo.txt"
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1486997/+attachment/4540500/+files/AlsaInfo.txt
--
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/1486997
Title:
Copying a large file causes user interface to stop responding
Status in linux package in Ubuntu:
Incomplete
Bug description:
If you run, for example, `cp file1 file1-copy` with several GB of
data, give it a minute, then the user interface stops responding and
the mouse stops moving. There are occasional glimmers of response but
it's like watching a video one frame at a time. I would expect the
user interface to continue to work barring the occasional
interruption. When the copy completes, or if you can interrupt it, the
user interface works normally again.
Despite the specific title, which I'll explain next, the command you
use doesn't matter. Any heavy and prolonged disc activity does it.
Ironically, running `ubuntu-bug kernel` to report this problem caused
the mouse and UI to freeze for a few seconds. Scheduled backups also
cause it.
So, why the specific title? This has been reported by other user and
myself before but in more general terms. Those reports are drowned in
comments by frustrated users clutching at straws to the point where
it's hard to see where they're going. I thought it might be helpful to
limit this bug report to a very specific and easily testable example
so that we don't get side-tracked working around what is probably a
kernel scheduling issue.
This is not an isolated or new problem. I've been using ubuntu since
2008 on several different machines and it's always been a problem.
Maybe it's a little worse now, maybe not. In any case, there's no
point bisecting the kernel as it's not a regression.
The problem also affects the terminal. If you switch to another TTY
the log-in takes ages, and usually doesn't complete until the heavy
disk activity has finished. This can be extremely frustrating when you
don't know which process is making mischief and you want to use a
terminal to find it and stop it.
It is possible to alleviate the problem by disabling swap. I did this
on the hunch that processes were being frozen while memory was paged
in from the disk. Unfortunately my current workload makes this
solution impractical. What's odd is that the problem occurs even when
there's several GB of memory to spare. After re-enabling swap you need
to wait a little before re-testing to reproduce the problem.
I've also tried other kernel schedulers. None help.
I'm a software developer and happy to get my hands dirty, but sadly
I'm quite unfamiliar with the kernel.
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: linux-image-3.16.0-45-generic 3.16.0-45.60~14.04.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.16.0-45.60~14.04.1-generic 3.16.7-ckt14
Uname: Linux 3.16.0-45-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.12
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Thu Aug 20 12:21:59 2015
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-07-13 (37 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20150218.1)
SourcePackage: linux-lts-utopic
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
---
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.19
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: phill 2715 F...m pulseaudio
/dev/snd/controlC0: phill 2715 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: Unity
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=fab564c9-5c8a-439f-8b9d-a10c8a4b75ad
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-07-13 (165 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20150218.1)
MachineType: System manufacturer V-P5G45
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.16.0-56-generic root=/dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-root ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.16.0-56.75~14.04.1-generic 3.16.7-ckt20
RelatedPackageVersions:
linux-restricted-modules-3.16.0-56-generic N/A
linux-backports-modules-3.16.0-56-generic N/A
linux-firmware 1.127.19
RfKill:
0: phy0: Wireless LAN
Soft blocked: no
Hard blocked: no
Tags: trusty
Uname: Linux 3.16.0-56-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip libvirtd lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
_MarkForUpload: True
dmi.bios.date: 05/18/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 0405
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: V-P5G45
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev 1.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr0405:bd05/18/2009:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnV-P5G45:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnV-P5G45:rvrRev1.xx:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: V-P5G45
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer
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References
