ksmserver

[Bogomips]

It has happened more than once, that in the middle of a session, or when the computer has been left unattended, approximately an hour, that the window freezes, cpu shows 100%. Going to a terminal (Ctl+fn), top shows ksmserver at 24% of cpu. Restart shutdown -r only option.

Trying to tune system to own needs, and used sysctl -w vm.swappiness=8. Would that result in ksmserver freezing up X?

[fanthom]

can anybody confirm that (i think wread had similar problems)?

@Bogomips
will killing this process help?
please try 'killall -HUP ksmserver' command as root and if that wont help then 'killall -SIGTERM ksmserver'.

[Bogomips]

Did a kill <pid ksmserver> before. Resulted in endless login loop to X. Window for login as guest or login as root. Requires password after which loops back to same window.

With cpu at 100% in X, from terminal tried pkill -STOP -f ksmserver. Back in X cpu usage minimal, but window not functional. then pkill -CONT -f ksmserver, and back in X cpu usage 100%. Now trying the same while ksmserver dormant(not very active), and window in normal use. Then went off for a while. leaving machine idling, and on returning did CONT, window disappeared and after some seconds lock screen window appeared, and could continue as normal.

[wread]

@Bogomips
Indeed, fanthom has a good memory!
I had the same problem; the provisional solution is to keep the machine awake..., so I installed this wallpaper-switch-plasma-applet, and click on it as soon as the machine is up.

Until someone (myself?) finds a better solution, this one works



Cheers!

[Bogomips]

@wread
Thanks for info. Did not get back to you, as wished to give it some time. Bug first came to attention trying to get Abiword and Okular running, both of which did not work 'out of the box' Began slowly to suspect unresolved dependencies. Problem became more pronounced while trying to install Kate and K3B. Slackyd turned up unresoved dependencies which were already in the 'out of the box' system. However fixing the unresolved dependencies for Kate & K3B also resolved all remaining dependencies, except for Network Manager (not needed).

It's now into the fourth day, no problem with leaving system unattended, although yet to close all minimised applications for proper test. Looks like the call to non-existent program was being caught by ksmserver which then went haywire trying to find program. Anyway this system is now reasonably well behaved for normal use. Maybe this info could serve as a clue for you.

[fanthom]

@Bogomips

Looks like the call to non-existent program was being caught by ksmserver which then went haywire trying to find program.

do you have any suspicious which program it could be? once we figure it out it will be a matter of including it in next release ...

[Bogomips]

@fanthom

Will have to see if it was noted down, but offhand from memory think it was python. Will see if I can confirm this.

Found it.

Code: Select all

libpython2.7.so.1.0 required by:
 --> Package: alsa-lib-1.0.27.2-i486-1 (/usr/lib/alsa-lib/smixer/smixer-python.so)
 --> Package: kate-4.10.5-i486-1 (/usr/lib/kde4/pateplugin.so)
 --> Package: kate-4.10.5-i486-1 (/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/PyKate4/kate.so)
 --> Package: libxml2-2.9.1-i486-1 (/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libxml2mod.so)
 --> Package: libxslt-1.1.28-i486-1 (/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libxsltmod.so)

Download python-2.7.5-i486-1.txz [from slackware] ? [y/N] 

libtcl8.6.so required by:
 --> Package: python-2.7.5-i486-1 (/usr/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload/_tkinter.so)

Download tcl-8.6.1-i486-1.txz [from slackware] ? [y/N] 

[fanthom]

do you mean that python is a cure for ksmserver troubles or for other apps mentioned in this thread?

if for ksmserver then we will have to leave it as is i'm afraid. python is too big to be included in the ISO and it would be a bit of overkill to drag it just to fix a single issue which not everybody experience.

[Bogomips]

Well, ksmserver hasn't given trouble so far, but can only speculate it was python. Python weighing in at 80MB, but so ubiquitous. Everyone seems to want it. Even youtube-dl refuses to run without it.

Anyway to clarify what was earlier mentioned; on the basic system

Code: Select all

# Modules activated during boot time:
/memory/copy2ram/000-kernel.xzm
/memory/copy2ram/001-core.xzm
/memory/copy2ram/002-xorg.xzm
/memory/copy2ram/003-kde.xzm
/memory/copy2ram/slackyd-1.0.20110809-i486-4sl.xzm

ran slackyd, which then reported

Code: Select all

Found 5 missing dependencies:
libgnome-keyring.so.0 required by:
 --> Package: NetworkManager-openvpn-0.9.8.4-i486-1ftm (/usr/libexec/nm-openvpn-auth-dialog)
 --> Package: NetworkManager-pptp-0.9.8.4-i486-1ftm (/usr/libexec/nm-pptp-auth-dialog)
libpython2.7.so.1.0 required by:
 --> Package: alsa-lib-1.0.27.2-i486-1 (/usr/lib/alsa-lib/smixer/smixer-python.so)
 --> Package: libxml2-2.9.1-i486-1 (/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libxml2mod.so)
 --> Package: libxslt-1.1.28-i486-1 (/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/libxsltmod.so)
libcups.so.2 required by:
 --> Package: gtk+2-2.24.20-i486-1 (/usr/lib/gtk-2.0/2.10.0/printbackends/libprintbackend-cups.so)
libspectre.so.1 required by:
 --> Package: okular-4.12.3-i486-1ftm (/usr/lib/kde4/okularGenerator_ghostview.so)
libmysqlclient.so.18 required by:
 --> Package: perl-5.18.1-i486-1 (/usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/auto/DBD/mysql/mysql.so)

Looks like packages of significance needing python are alsa-lib and libxml2. Sorry, can't be of much help here. Still a novice on this system. Happy to get an app running, and if be of help in the process, well and good.

[wread]

@Bogomips,

Yes, but Python is included in 07-printing.xzm...
Can you test if this bug is present when the 07-printing module is activated??

I will do this test myself and report back tomorrow.

Regards

EDIT: Sorry, Bogomips, it crashes with Python installed, too....

[wread]

@Bogomips
I edited last post saying it crashes with Python installed, too.

I will research what is happening about the ksmserver myself. A couple of days ago I compiled a kdelibs and noticed in the configuration, there is an optional package related to powerdevil or so; maybe I can find a clue there. In my case, I left that optional package out, but I was working with an older kernel, too, that tolerates the absence of that package.

I will try recompiling kdelibs-4.12.3 to see if it will get ok. I will report back to you (and fanthom) my findings.

This bug affects only old machines, I guess. This one is a Toshiba Satellite from 2006....I don't know how old is yours, maybe a good old machine too!

Regards!

[Bogomips]

@wread

1. PC 5 and a bit yrs old. Is that old?
2. No more problems so far with ksmserver, just only durring those app installations. But there is updatedb, which from time to time monopolises HD for around a minute and shoots cpu usage to 100%, thereby holding up everything. Any idea on that?
3. Have had to install kdelibs package, as result of which the applications menu gets clobbered, so beforehand have to store required apps in favorites. Does your kdelibs also clobber the kicker menu?