[SOLVED] [Network Manager] High RAM usage in Xfce

Nh3xus · 02-09-2014, 02:26 PM

Hi,

Knowledge of the NM users is appreciated here

I've posted a similar thread a few month ago, and I re-installed my machine in order to stay on the stable branch of Slackware which is 14.1 as we speak.

I'm literally mad because I encounter the same kind of high RAM usage in Xfce right after the

Code:

 startx

command.

The only thing I've done is updating my system !

Normal RAM usage was around 280 Mb of RAM. And now it's over 700 Mb, which is outrageous for Xfce.

Here's the last updates I've done today and that "broke" my Xsession :

Code:

Sat Feb  8 18:41:15 UTC 2014
patches/packages/mozilla-firefox-24.3.0esr-i486-1_slack14.1.txz:  Upgraded.
  This release contains security fixes and improvements.
  For more information, see:
    http://www.mozilla.org/security/known-vulnerabilities/firefoxESR.html
  (* Security fix *)
patches/packages/mozilla-thunderbird-24.3.0-i486-1_slack14.1.txz:  Upgraded.
  This release contains security fixes and improvements.
  For more information, see:
    http://www.mozilla.org/security/known-vulnerabilities/thunderbird.html
  (* Security fix *)
patches/packages/seamonkey-2.24-i486-1_slack14.1.txz:  Upgraded.
  This update contains security fixes and improvements.
  For more information, see:
    http://www.mozilla.org/security/known-vulnerabilities/seamonkey.html
  (* Security fix *)
patches/packages/seamonkey-solibs-2.24-i486-1_slack14.1.txz:  Upgraded.
+--------------------------+
Mon Feb  3 20:58:32 UTC 2014
patches/packages/pidgin-2.10.9-i486-1_slack14.1.txz:  Upgraded.
  This update fixes various security issues and other bugs.
  For more information, see:
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2012-6152
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-6477
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-6478
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-6479
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-6481
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-6482
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-6483
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-6484
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-6485
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-6486
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-6487
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-6489
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-6490
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2014-0020
  (* Security fix *)
+--------------------------+
Sat Feb  1 00:56:38 UTC 2014
patches/packages/cairo-1.12.16-i486-1_slack14.1.txz:  Upgraded.
  This is a bugfix update that was tested in -current and found to resolve
  some outstanding issues with the package that shipped in Slackware 14.1.
  Removed --enable-xcb-shm (may cause instability with GTK+3).
  Removed --enable-xlib-xcb (causes GIMP slowdown).
  Added --enable-ft and --enable-gl.
+--------------------------+
Tue Jan 28 21:07:13 UTC 2014
patches/packages/bind-9.9.4_P2-i486-1_slack14.1.txz:  Upgraded.
  This update fixes a defect in the handling of NSEC3-signed zones that can
  cause BIND to be crashed by a specific set of queries.
  NOTE:  According to the second link below, Slackware is probably not
  vulnerable since we aren't using glibc-2.18 yet.  Might as well fix it
  anyway, though.
  For more information, see:
    https://kb.isc.org/article/AA-01078
    https://kb.isc.org/article/AA-01085
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2014-0591
  (* Security fix *)
patches/packages/mozilla-nss-3.15.4-i486-1_slack14.1.txz:  Upgraded.
  Upgraded to nss-3.15.4 and nspr-4.10.3.
  Fixes a possible man-in-the-middle issue.
  For more information, see:
    http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-1740
  (* Security fix *)

Starting my Xfce session with

Code:

 startx -V

did NOT help.

Please note that I use Network Manager and I think some related polkit packages from Pat are giving me troubles.

Here's a copy of the ps aux command with Xfce and Firefox launched :

http://sebsauvage.net/paste/?b3eefb5...A07A5yjf9oEvk=

Also, the gnome stuff is needed by NM and is provided by Pat.

I don't have some fancy packages regarding to the networking part of Slackware.

I've read on LQ that sometimes, some Slack updates does that, and the fix come some days after.

Thanks you

Nh3xus · 02-10-2014, 05:22 AM

I really don't want to re-install the whole system again...

moisespedro · 02-10-2014, 04:49 PM

If you think it is NetworkManager have you tried turning it off and on again? :P Nah, just kidding but turn it off and see if the RAM usage drops.

metaschima · 02-10-2014, 05:05 PM

It looks like Firefox is using most of the RAM.

rospo · 02-11-2014, 12:03 PM

Hello. Same memory problem for me, but NOT using NM.

Running Slackware 14.1 32 bit.

After recent upgrades, the system is memory hungry. I'm using XFCE too. Before
recent upgrades, after launching XFCE I had almost 300 MB free of 420 total (gkrellm said)
Now I have only 60 MB, make my old PC unusable. I suspect it has something to do with cairo libs. I'll try to downgrade and let you know.

rospo · 02-11-2014, 12:54 PM

Are you using nvidia driver? Because it seems that cairo with nvidia driver is causing the high memory usage. That's my case. The fix is to recompile cairo without gl. See discussion here:

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=175905

metaschima · 02-11-2014, 01:00 PM

Yeah, that could be it, because the new cairo package has gl enabled.

Nh3xus · 02-11-2014, 01:26 PM

Hi rospo,

You are right : I'm using the Nvidia legacy 304.xx driver from SBo.

Please note that I'm using the 32 bits version of Slackware.

I've read the links you've provided, and there's quite useful informations in there.

Turns out the cairo package update did affect me as well.

According to the Slackbuild script linked below, Pat did disable the gl option when he released the 14.1 version of Slackware :

http://ftp.lip6.fr/pub/linux/distrib...iro.SlackBuild

I will try to rebuild the cairo package this weekend to see if it does the trick.

Please let me know how things goes for you.

Thanks you for your research

It looks like Google was not that friendly for me this time

rospo · 02-11-2014, 04:08 PM

Hi all.

Good news.

I just recompiled cairo package without gl support and the memory problem was fixed.

Hope the fix solves your problem too. I'm almost sure it will, because we have the same configuration: 32 bit, nvidia 304.xxx, XFCE.

Nh3xus · 02-11-2014, 04:18 PM

I'm glad that you've fixed your box

I've sent Pat an e-mail about this issue and here's his answer :

Code:

 You could try switching back to the previous cairo package to see if the
memory usage changes.  It's possible that the changed compilation
options are causing it to use more memory.  No harm in switching back,
since it wasn't a security related update.  Also, unless the memory
usage grows over time, it's more likely to be memory usage than a memory
leak.

I'll try that tomorrow when I come back from my University.

I'm pretty sure this will work.

cwizardone · 02-13-2014, 06:29 PM

The above is correct. I switched back to the cairo package from 14.1 and the RAM usage dropped by at least 200 megs.

Edit in: BTW, this, going back to an earlier version of cairo, also "cured" the problem I was having with gKrellm crashing on a regular basis.

Nh3xus · 02-15-2014, 10:38 AM

I can confirm that this works on my machine as well

I've recompiled the latest version of cairo with the source tree provided by Pat, and it works.

My RAM usage is back to normal.

Thanks you rospo for the tip !

metaschima · 02-15-2014, 11:36 AM

The question is: is it a memory leak i.e. does memory continually increase ? or is it just more RAM usage than the other cairo ?

More RAM usage in and of itself is NOT a bad thing. Maybe it is faster. Memory leak is always a bad thing.

Nh3xus · 02-15-2014, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metaschima

The question is: is it a memory leak i.e. does memory continually increase ? or is it just more RAM usage than the other cairo ?

The cairo package was just using (way) more RAM than the earlier version.

I wasn't sure how to qualify this bug since it's the first time I've stumbled upon such a thing.

Having your system more prone to the use of the Swap partition is not a really good idea.

I've chosen Xfce for its relatively low RAM usage. Not for a ressource hog thingy

I'm even considering switching to a tiling WM... but I'm not ready for that kind of learning curve yet.

narz · 02-16-2014, 12:56 AM

When did 14.1 get a cairo package update? I don't remember updating it, but maybe I have a bad memory. All I know is that XFCE is using about 600 MB at idle right now, it used to use about 250 MB idle.