Ubuntu
linux package

After natty update today, system is unresponsive and freezes often

Bug #711284 reported by Oded Arbel on 2011-02-01

This bug affects 6 people

Affects		Status	Importance	Assigned to	Milestone
	linux (Ubuntu)	Invalid	Undecided	Unassigned

Bug Description

After doing dist-upgrade on a Natty 11.04 installation today, the system is very unresponsive and freezes every few seconds for a bout a second.

The load average when completely idling is around 1.2 (for a dual-core intel CPU. "Idling" here means a graphical session with nothing running except a gnome terminal with htop running). The CPU performance graph shows spike of 100% cpu usage every 3 seconds for about 2 seconds each.eight of each peak the computer stops responding to keystrokes or mouse movement and the display freezes.

Looking at htop I can see that there is no process that actually uses the CPU, but htop does show the CPU being over utilized but the usage display is mostly red - which means, IIUC, "IO-Wait".

Usually when I get a lot of IO-Wait in the CPU usage it means swap deprivation, though this is not the case - here is the output of free:
total used free shared buffers cached
Mem: 2014784 1799424 215360 0 138908 811556
-/+ buffers/cache: 848960 1165824
Swap: 4000148 0 4000148

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: linux-image-2.6.38-1-generic 2.6.38-1.28
Regression: Yes
Reproducible: Yes
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-1.28-generic 2.6.38-rc2
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-1-generic x86_64
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.23.
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: AD198x Analog [AD198x Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/2
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
   Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
AudioDevicesInUse: Error: command ['fuser', '-v', '/dev/snd/controlC0', '/dev/snd/hwC0D0', '/dev/snd/pcmC0D0c', '/dev/snd/pcmC0D0p', '/dev/snd/pcmC0D1p', '/dev/snd/by-path', '/dev/snd/controlC29', '/dev/snd/seq', '/dev/snd/timer'] failed with exit code 1:
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xfe020000 irq 48'
   Mixer name : 'Analog Devices AD1984'
   Components : 'HDA:11d41984,17aa20bb,00100400'
   Controls : 31
   Simple ctrls : 19
Card29.Amixer.info:
Card hw:29 'ThinkPadEC'/'ThinkPad Console Audio Control at EC reg 0x30, fw 7KHT24WW-1.08'
   Mixer name : 'ThinkPad EC 7KHT24WW-1.08'
   Components : ''
   Controls : 1
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card29.Amixer.values:
Simple mixer control 'Console',0
   Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum
   Playback channels: Mono
   Mono: Playback [on]
Date: Tue Feb 1 16:46:38 2011
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=06b00630-2b14-4759-8d5e-6279daa42f63
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Alpha amd64 (20100701)
MachineType: LENOVO 88986DG
PccardctlIdent:
Socket 0:
   no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
Socket 0:
   3.3V 32-bit PC Card
ProcEnviron:
LANGUAGE=en_US.UTF-8:en
PATH=(custom, user)
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
LC_MESSAGES=en_US.utf8
SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-1-generic root=UUID=4b488e8d-8ec5-4891-abc3-c1958b0fe161 ro vga=792 splash quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
linux-restricted-modules-2.6.38-1-generic N/A
linux-backports-modules-2.6.38-1-generic N/A
linux-firmware 1.46
SourcePackage: linux
dmi.bios.date: 11/14/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: 7LETC5WW (2.25 )
dmi.board.name: 88986DG
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvr7LETC5WW(2.25):bd11/14/2008:svnLENOVO:pn88986DG:pvrThinkPadT61:rvnLENOVO:rn88986DG:rvrNotAvailable:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 88986DG
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T61
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

Tags:

Revision history for this message

Oded Arbel (oded-geek) wrote on 2011-02-01:

AcpiTables.txt Edit (346.6 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
AlsaDevices.txt Edit (530 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
AplayDevices.txt Edit (273 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
BootDmesg.txt Edit (61.0 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Card0.Amixer.values.txt Edit (3.8 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Card0.Codecs.codec.0.txt Edit (11.9 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
CurrentDmesg.txt Edit (4.4 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Dependencies.txt Edit (1.8 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
IwConfig.txt Edit (525 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Lspci.txt Edit (15.8 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Lsusb.txt Edit (793 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
PciMultimedia.txt Edit (594 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcCpuinfo.txt Edit (1.5 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcCpuinfo_.txt Edit (1.5 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcInterrupts.txt Edit (1.7 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcModules.txt Edit (2.9 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
RfKill.txt Edit (182 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
UdevDb.txt Edit (114.7 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
UdevLog.txt Edit (255.3 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
WifiSyslog.txt Edit (598.1 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")

Revision history for this message

Oded Arbel (oded-geek) wrote on 2011-02-01:

I don't believe the problem is with the current kernel (2.6.38-1) because when I boot with an older kernel (2.6.37), I get the same behavior.

Brad Figg (brad-figg) on 2011-04-07

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status:	New → Confirmed

Revision history for this message

Chandan (compcode) wrote on 2011-04-24:

I am also facing the same problem for last few days.

Revision history for this message

Pascal R. (niun) wrote on 2011-04-29:

i am experiencing the same freeze problem on the same ThinkPad model (with an Intel 965GM video chipset) after updating from 10.10 to 11.04 . I can't say that the system is unresponsive, but it freezes periodical every 10 seconds for around one second.

Selecting an old (pre upgrade) kernel (2.6.35) in grub does not help. The system freezes already at the login screen (tested kdm and lxdm).

I was experiencing the same problem on Kubuntu 11.04 running from a live installation CD.
Kubuntu 10.10 is running without problems from a live installation CD.

Revision history for this message

Pascal R. (niun) wrote on 2011-04-30:

I have found a way to switch the misbehaviour off:
1. Remove power cable (I have a Lenovo mini dock. Disconnection means
undocking, don't know if this is important)
2. Activate standby (suspend to RAM)
3. Come back from standby.
4. Activate standby (suspend to RAM)
5. Come back from standby.
==> Problem is gone (no more freezes), even when reconnected to power

I tested this with LXDE desktop (from package lubuntu-desktop). I don't know (yet) if it is working with KDE or Gnome.

Revision history for this message

Pascal R. (niun) wrote on 2011-04-30:

i forgot to mention that after rebooting, the problem is back

Revision history for this message

Markus Michels (michels-markus) wrote on 2011-05-05:

Not sure if this relates to this bug, but I figured that natty (kernel 2.6.38-9) starts filling swap space heavily. I have set vm.swappiness=0... during work system keeps swap empty, after half an hour away (system locked) I realize that swap consumes >600 MB, with 1.2 GB out of 8 GB RAM are used.

Strange, and this happens on all my natty machines (1 thinkpad, 1 ideapad and two desktop power horses). Responsiveness suffers tremendously.

Currently I solve this issue by deactivating swap via swapoff -a and system is as snappy as I am used to from Ubuntu.

Any ideas where this behavior comes from?

Revision history for this message

leomeloxp (leomeloxp) wrote on 2011-05-07:

I don't know if my case is the same as told here but I have a Delll Inspiron with Core 2 Duo, 4Gb RAM running a fresh install of Natty and if I leave my computer idle for (note sure but around) 15 minutes.

In my case, what happen is that most of the times the computer screen turns off and when I try to bring the screen back only the pointer shows up with everything black and the keyboard becomes unresponsive except for the tty's shortcuts Ctrl+Alt+F? (? = 1 - 6).

Lately I've been noticing that sometimes it freezes even before the screen turns off, which on my power management is set to 10 minutes.

If anyone have any ideas, or if this bug is not my case, thanks in advance anyway =]

Revision history for this message

Pascal R. (niun) wrote on 2011-05-10:

#7 and #8 you have other problems. swapoff -a does not help in my case and the screen dosn't go off after 15 minutes. The system hangs every 10 _seconds_ for only one second.

Revision history for this message

Pascal R. (niun) wrote on 2011-05-10:

#10

ok, my "workaround" described in #5 works without removing the power cable and seems to be desktop independent. Just go to sleep (suspend to RAM) twice and the problem is gone. Tested with LXDE and KDE on Kubuntu Natty.

Any hints about how to narrow down, what does change with the second sleep and awake procedure?

Revision history for this message

Pascal R. (niun) wrote on 2011-05-10:

#11

after the double standby, every further standby toggles the problematic behavior on/off.

Revision history for this message

Cody A.W. Somerville (cody-somerville) wrote on 2011-06-03:

#12

I'm experiencing crippling high iowait as well after upgrading to natty. I think comment #7 might be on to something.

Revision history for this message

Pascal R. (niun) wrote on 2011-06-03:

#13

after a clean Install of natty, the problem is gone. But when connecting my laptop without the battery to power, the problem is there again.

@#12: Do you also experience the one-second-pauses every ten seconds?

Revision history for this message

penalvch (penalvch) wrote on 2012-04-06:

#14

Oded Arbel, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better. This bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? Can you try with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO CD images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/ .

If it remains an issue, could you run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal). It will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report.

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

Also, if you could test the latest upstream kernel available that would be great. It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag. This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text. Please let us know your results.

Thanks in advance.

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status:	Confirmed → Incomplete

Revision history for this message

Oded Arbel (oded-geek) wrote on 2012-04-08:

#15

I don't see this happening in Oneiric, so this issue is no longer relevant.

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status:	Incomplete → Invalid

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After natty update today, system is unresponsive and freezes often

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