Background jobs

ssslackw · 08-01-2013, 12:14 PM

Hi all,
I have Slackware 14.0 installed with 1G RAM and 5G swap space, and am using xface as window manager. Recently, I have noticed that when I run some programs, they got pretty slow. Can someone please take a look of the output of my "ps -A" and see any background system processes that I can kill.
PID TTY TIME CMD
1 ? 00:00:00 init
2 ? 00:00:00 kthreadd
3 ? 00:00:02 ksoftirqd/0
6 ? 00:00:00 migration/0
7 ? 00:00:00 cpuset
8 ? 00:00:00 khelper
9 ? 00:00:00 kdevtmpfs
10 ? 00:00:00 netns
11 ? 00:00:00 kworker/u:1
472 ? 00:00:00 sync_supers
474 ? 00:00:00 bdi-default
476 ? 00:00:00 kblockd
549 ? 00:00:00 ata_sff
556 ? 00:00:00 khubd
562 ? 00:00:00 md
664 ? 00:00:00 rpciod
677 ? 00:00:00 khungtaskd
683 ? 00:00:00 kswapd0
746 ? 00:00:14 khugepaged
748 ? 00:00:00 fsnotify_mark
773 ? 00:00:00 nfsiod
783 ? 00:00:00 jfsIO
784 ? 00:00:00 jfsCommit
785 ? 00:00:00 jfsSync
793 ? 00:00:00 xfs_mru_cache
794 ? 00:00:00 xfslogd
795 ? 00:00:00 xfsdatad
796 ? 00:00:00 xfsconvertd
798 ? 00:00:00 ocfs2_wq
801 ? 00:00:00 user_dlm
808 ? 00:00:00 glock_workqueue
809 ? 00:00:00 delete_workqueu
813 ? 00:00:00 gfs_recovery
815 ? 00:00:00 crypto
858 ? 00:00:00 kthrotld
987 ? 00:00:00 cciss_scan
1006 ? 00:00:00 fc_exch_workque
1007 ? 00:00:00 fc_rport_eq
1008 ? 00:00:00 fcoethread/0
1010 ? 00:00:00 fnic_event_wq
1096 ? 00:00:00 scsi_eh_2
1099 ? 00:00:00 scsi_eh_3
1102 ? 00:00:00 kworker/u:2
1161 ? 00:00:00 exec-osm
1167 ? 00:00:00 block-osm
1225 ? 00:00:00 speakup
1250 ? 00:00:00 devfreq_wq
1253 ? 00:00:00 jbd2/sda1-8
1254 ? 00:00:00 ext4-dio-unwrit
1309 ? 00:00:00 udevd
1363 ? 00:00:00 kpsmoused
1368 ? 00:00:00 ttm_swap
1430 ? 00:00:00 jbd2/sda2-8
1431 ? 00:00:00 ext4-dio-unwrit
1432 ? 00:00:00 jbd2/sda3-8
1433 ? 00:00:00 ext4-dio-unwrit
1464 ? 00:00:00 syslogd
1468 ? 00:00:00 klogd
1504 ? 00:00:00 udevd
1505 ? 00:00:00 udevd
1593 ? 00:00:00 dhcpcd
1667 ? 00:00:00 inetd
1672 ? 00:00:00 sshd
1679 ? 00:00:00 acpid
1692 ? 00:00:00 dbus-daemon
1695 ? 00:00:00 console-kit-dae
1763 ? 00:00:00 polkitd
1786 ? 00:00:00 crond
1788 ? 00:00:00 atd
1803 ? 00:00:00 gpm
1805 tty1 00:00:00 agetty
1806 tty2 00:00:00 agetty
1807 tty3 00:00:00 agetty
1808 tty4 00:00:00 agetty
1809 tty5 00:00:00 agetty
1810 tty6 00:00:00 agetty
1811 ? 00:00:00 kdm
1813 tty7 00:15:39 X
1817 ? 00:00:00 kdm
1838 ? 00:00:00 sh
1872 ? 00:00:01 xfce4-session
1875 ? 00:00:00 dbus-launch
1876 ? 00:00:19 dbus-daemon
1878 ? 00:00:00 xfconfd
1881 ? 00:00:00 gpg-agent
1882 ? 00:00:05 xfwm4
1884 ? 00:00:00 Thunar
1886 ? 00:00:00 gvfsd
1888 ? 00:00:00 gvfs-fuse-daemo
1895 ? 00:00:13 xfce4-panel
1896 ? 00:00:06 xfdesktop
1897 ? 00:00:00 xfsettingsd
1899 ? 00:00:00 panel-6-systray
1901 ? 00:00:00 panel-2-actions
1902 ? 00:00:00 xfce4-power-man
1904 ? 00:00:01 blueman-applet
1910 ? 00:00:00 polkit-gnome-au
1914 ? 00:00:00 applet.py
1923 ? 00:00:09 gconfd-2
1924 ? 00:00:00 xfce4-power-man
1925 ? 00:00:00 xfce4-volumed
1933 ? 00:00:00 upowerd
1936 ? 00:00:00 gvfs-udisks2-vo
1964 ? 00:00:05 udisksd
1984 ? 00:00:00 gvfs-gphoto2-vo
1996 ? 00:00:00 gvfsd-trash
2013 ? 00:00:00 obex-data-serve
3753 ? 00:00:04 Terminal
3754 ? 00:00:00 gnome-pty-helpe
3807 pts/1 00:00:00 csh
3841 ? 00:00:00 in.identd
3937 ? 00:00:00 flush-8:0
3983 ? 00:00:00 kworker/0:1
4001 ? 00:00:00 kworker/0:2
4027 ? 00:00:00 kworker/0:0
4028 pts/1 00:00:00 ps

Thanks for your help.

Sefid par · 08-01-2013, 01:07 PM

Check the processes with 'top' command, it will show you the CPU usage by percentage.

willysr · 08-01-2013, 01:50 PM

Why do you have such a big swap? It's not so useful to have that amount of swap since swap is definitely slower than main memory

mlslk31 · 08-01-2013, 01:56 PM

That's a really vague request. Just get rid of everything. It would help. So let's review:

Code:

PID TTY TIME CMD
1 ? 00:00:00 init # need this
2 ? 00:00:00 kthreadd
3 ? 00:00:02 ksoftirqd/0
6 ? 00:00:00 migration/0 # what is this?
7 ? 00:00:00 cpuset
8 ? 00:00:00 khelper
9 ? 00:00:00 kdevtmpfs
10 ? 00:00:00 netns
11 ? 00:00:00 kworker/u:1
472 ? 00:00:00 sync_supers
474 ? 00:00:00 bdi-default
476 ? 00:00:00 kblockd
549 ? 00:00:00 ata_sff
556 ? 00:00:00 khubd
562 ? 00:00:00 md # do you use md devices?
664 ? 00:00:00 rpciod
677 ? 00:00:00 khungtaskd
683 ? 00:00:00 kswapd0
746 ? 00:00:14 khugepaged
748 ? 00:00:00 fsnotify_mark
773 ? 00:00:00 nfsiod # do you use NFS?
783 ? 00:00:00 jfsIO # do you use JFS?
784 ? 00:00:00 jfsCommit # JFS
785 ? 00:00:00 jfsSync # JFS
793 ? 00:00:00 xfs_mru_cache # do you use XFS?
794 ? 00:00:00 xfslogd
795 ? 00:00:00 xfsdatad
796 ? 00:00:00 xfsconvertd 
798 ? 00:00:00 ocfs2_wq # do you use OCFS2?
801 ? 00:00:00 user_dlm
808 ? 00:00:00 glock_workqueue
809 ? 00:00:00 delete_workqueu
813 ? 00:00:00 gfs_recovery
815 ? 00:00:00 crypto
858 ? 00:00:00 kthrotld
987 ? 00:00:00 cciss_scan
1006 ? 00:00:00 fc_exch_workque
1007 ? 00:00:00 fc_rport_eq
1008 ? 00:00:00 fcoethread/0
1010 ? 00:00:00 fnic_event_wq
1096 ? 00:00:00 scsi_eh_2
1099 ? 00:00:00 scsi_eh_3
1102 ? 00:00:00 kworker/u:2
1161 ? 00:00:00 exec-osm
1167 ? 00:00:00 block-osm
1225 ? 00:00:00 speakup # do you use speakup?
1250 ? 00:00:00 devfreq_wq
1253 ? 00:00:00 jbd2/sda1-8 # do you use ext4?
1254 ? 00:00:00 ext4-dio-unwrit # ext4
1309 ? 00:00:00 udevd # do you need udev? probably.
1363 ? 00:00:00 kpsmoused
1368 ? 00:00:00 ttm_swap
1430 ? 00:00:00 jbd2/sda2-8
1431 ? 00:00:00 ext4-dio-unwrit
1432 ? 00:00:00 jbd2/sda3-8
1433 ? 00:00:00 ext4-dio-unwrit
1464 ? 00:00:00 syslogd
1468 ? 00:00:00 klogd
1504 ? 00:00:00 udevd
1505 ? 00:00:00 udevd
1593 ? 00:00:00 dhcpcd # do you use DHCP? maybe not.
1667 ? 00:00:00 inetd # do you use inetd? maybe.
1672 ? 00:00:00 sshd # do you use sshd? probably.
1679 ? 00:00:00 acpid # do you use your power button?
1692 ? 00:00:00 dbus-daemon # leave it alone
1695 ? 00:00:00 console-kit-dae # console-kit may or may not be needed.
1763 ? 00:00:00 polkitd # polkit may or may not be needed.
1786 ? 00:00:00 crond # needed
1788 ? 00:00:00 atd # needed
1803 ? 00:00:00 gpm # do you use the mouse in a console?
1805 tty1 00:00:00 agetty # needed
1806 tty2 00:00:00 agetty
1807 tty3 00:00:00 agetty
1808 tty4 00:00:00 agetty
1809 tty5 00:00:00 agetty
1810 tty6 00:00:00 agetty
1811 ? 00:00:00 kdm # do you need a kdm login for your Xfce use?
1813 tty7 00:15:39 X
1817 ? 00:00:00 kdm
1838 ? 00:00:00 sh
1872 ? 00:00:01 xfce4-session # Xfce
1875 ? 00:00:00 dbus-launch
1876 ? 00:00:19 dbus-daemon
1878 ? 00:00:00 xfconfd # Xfce
1881 ? 00:00:00 gpg-agent
1882 ? 00:00:05 xfwm4 # Xfce
1884 ? 00:00:00 Thunar # Xfce
1886 ? 00:00:00 gvfsd
1888 ? 00:00:00 gvfs-fuse-daemo # do you use FUSE?
1895 ? 00:00:13 xfce4-panel # Xfce
1896 ? 00:00:06 xfdesktop # Xfce
1897 ? 00:00:00 xfsettingsd # Xfce
1899 ? 00:00:00 panel-6-systray
1901 ? 00:00:00 panel-2-actions
1902 ? 00:00:00 xfce4-power-man # Xfce, but not required
1904 ? 00:00:01 blueman-applet # do you use Bluetooth?
1910 ? 00:00:00 polkit-gnome-au
1914 ? 00:00:00 applet.py
1923 ? 00:00:09 gconfd-2
1924 ? 00:00:00 xfce4-power-man
1925 ? 00:00:00 xfce4-volumed # Xfce, but not required
1933 ? 00:00:00 upowerd # do you care about power management?
1936 ? 00:00:00 gvfs-udisks2-vo # do you care about disk management?
1964 ? 00:00:05 udisksd
1984 ? 00:00:00 gvfs-gphoto2-vo # do you use gphoto2?
1996 ? 00:00:00 gvfsd-trash
2013 ? 00:00:00 obex-data-serve # do you use OpenObex?
3753 ? 00:00:04 Terminal
3754 ? 00:00:00 gnome-pty-helpe
3807 pts/1 00:00:00 csh
3841 ? 00:00:00 in.identd
3937 ? 00:00:00 flush-8:0
3983 ? 00:00:00 kworker/0:1
4001 ? 00:00:00 kworker/0:2
4027 ? 00:00:00 kworker/0:0
4028 pts/1 00:00:00 ps

What I'm saying is that if you want less to run, it would help to...

remove some programs
compile a leaner kernel
do a `chmod -x /etc/rc.d/rc.program_to_not_run_on_boot`
from the Xfce menu, click Settings, then "Session and Startup" to disable applets there.