While copying from hdd to hdd or hdd to usb ubuntu freezes

[Abdul Rehman]

WDC WD7500BPVT 750GB Advanced format HDD
deadline scheduler is selected
parted informs that partitions are aligned
logical sectors are 512B while physical sectors are 4096 bytes
hdparm informs speed 96MB/s
Programs startup is slow.
S.M.A.R.T assessment is OK.
HDD operations make system unusable.

WORKAROUND: Change default dirty_ratio = 60 to 5, and dirty_background_ratio = 40 to 10. However, this slows down HDD R/W operations.

---
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.18
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: abdulrehman 2823 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: Unity
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=0b208e3a-f2f2-4531-882b-8fbcc2671510
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-09-13 (103 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20150218.1)
MachineType: FUJITSU LIFEBOOK AH532
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.16.0-53-generic.efi.signed root=UUID=d5974a91-a720-43fb-8e16-3d2e9c7468f0 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.16.0-53.72~14.04.1-generic 3.16.7-ckt18
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.16.0-53-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.16.0-53-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.127.18
Tags: trusty
Uname: Linux 3.16.0-53-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dialout dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo wireshark
_MarkForUpload: True
dmi.bios.date: 05/22/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: FUJITSU // Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
dmi.bios.version: Version 1.09
dmi.board.name: FJNBB1C
dmi.board.vendor: FUJITSU
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: FUJITSU
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnFUJITSU//PhoenixTechnologiesLtd.:bvrVersion1.09:bd05/22/2012:svnFUJITSU:pnLIFEBOOKAH532:pvr:rvnFUJITSU:rnFJNBB1C:rvr:cvnFUJITSU:ct10:cvr:
dmi.product.name: LIFEBOOK AH532
dmi.sys.vendor: FUJITSU

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Abdul Rehman, thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please execute the following command only once, as it will automatically gather debugging information, in a terminal:
apport-collect 1497383

[Abdul Rehman (abdulrehman3)]

apport information

[Abdul Rehman (abdulrehman3)]

apport information

[Abdul Rehman (abdulrehman3)]

apport information

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Abdul Rehman, regarding your comment:
>"changing dirty_ratio or dirty_background_ratio prevents freezes but it "

Could you please advise what you changed these values from and to so it wouldn't freeze?

[Abdul Rehman (abdulrehman3)]

default dirty_ratio = 60 and dirty_background_ratio = 40
Changed them to 5 and 10 respectively.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Abdul Rehman, at your earliest convenience, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available from the very top line at the top of the page from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/?C=N;O=D (the release names are irrelevant for testing, and please do not test the daily folder)? Install instructions are available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/MainlineBuilds . This will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue.

If testing on your main install would be inconvenient, one may:
1) Install Ubuntu to a different partition and then test this there.
2) Backup, or clone the primary install.

If the latest kernel did not allow you to test to the issue (ex. you couldn't boot into the OS) please make a comment in your report about this, and continue to test the next most recent kernel version until you can test to the issue. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this issue is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon, next to the word Tags, located at the bottom of the report description:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Where X, and Y are the first two numbers of the kernel version, and Z is the release candidate number if it exists.

If the mainline kernel does not fix the issue, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-X.Y-rcZ

Please note, an error to install the kernel does not fit the criteria of kernel-bug-exists-upstream.

Once testing of the latest upstream kernel is complete, please mark this report's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results.

Thank you for your understanding.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Abdul Rehman, to advise, I'm using Wily, and the defaults are more in line with your WORKAROUND:
cat /proc/sys/vm/dirty_ratio
20
cat /proc/sys/vm/dirty_background_ratio
10

Hence, my expectation is that this is resolved for you in later versions of Ubuntu.

[Abdul Rehman (abdulrehman3)]

I would love to test the latest kernel, but unfortunately I am busy in my university project. I will do it ASAP.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]