Gnome Software consumes way too much CPU resources at times

[Owais Lone]

I've noticed my Kaby Lake i7 laptop with 16GB RAM become extremely slow at time even when not performing any CPU intensive tasks. I've tried to find out the culprit process and it turned out to be Gnome Software. It was consuming 99% of CPU. I remember having clicking "update all" in Gnome Software some time ago and also "check for updates" in control center's details section some time after that.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

Seen that this morning on a fully updated artful. Shortly after boot, a gnome-software process started consuming 100% CPU and continued doing so for a few hours, after which I killed it.
I had not opened the gnome-software GUI, only applied a few updates manually with apt:

Start-Date: 2017-08-18 07:57:43
Commandline: apt dist-upgrade
Requested-By: osomon (1000)
Upgrade: lxc-common:amd64 (2.0.8-0ubuntu3, 2.0.8-0ubuntu5), exim4-base:amd64 (4.89-3ubuntu2, 4.89-5ubuntu1), libefivar1:amd64 (30-1ubuntu1, 31-1), python3-software-properties:amd64 (0.96.24.14, 0.96.24.15), python3-lxc:amd64 (2.0.8-0ubuntu3, 2.0.8-0ubuntu5), snapd:amd64 (2.27.1+17.10, 2.27.2+17.10), libefiboot1:amd64 (30-1ubuntu1, 31-1), exim4-daemon-light:amd64 (4.89-3ubuntu2, 4.89-5ubuntu1), lxc-templates:amd64 (2.0.8-0ubuntu3, 2.0.8-0ubuntu5), lxc1:amd64 (2.0.8-0ubuntu3, 2.0.8-0ubuntu5), software-properties-gtk:amd64 (0.96.24.14, 0.96.24.15), libunity-gtk2-parser0:amd64 (0.0.0+17.10.20170816-0ubuntu1, 0.0.0+17.10.20170817-0ubuntu1), lxc:amd64 (2.0.8-0ubuntu3, 2.0.8-0ubuntu5), liblxc1:amd64 (2.0.8-0ubuntu3, 2.0.8-0ubuntu5), libappstream-glib8:amd64 (0.7.1-1, 0.7.1-2), unity-gtk-module-common:amd64 (0.0.0+17.10.20170816-0ubuntu1, 0.0.0+17.10.20170817-0ubuntu1), exim4-config:amd64 (4.89-3ubuntu2, 4.89-5ubuntu1), chromium-browser:amd64 (61.0.3163.39-0ubuntu1.1381, 61.0.3163.49-0ubuntu1.1382), unity-gtk2-module:amd64 (0.0.0+17.10.20170816-0ubuntu1, 0.0.0+17.10.20170817-0ubuntu1), libunity-gtk3-parser0:amd64 (0.0.0+17.10.20170816-0ubuntu1, 0.0.0+17.10.20170817-0ubuntu1), chromium-codecs-ffmpeg-extra:amd64 (61.0.3163.39-0ubuntu1.1381, 61.0.3163.49-0ubuntu1.1382), ufw:amd64 (0.35-4, 0.35-5), exim4:amd64 (4.89-3ubuntu2, 4.89-5ubuntu1), chromium-browser-l10n:amd64 (61.0.3163.39-0ubuntu1.1381, 61.0.3163.49-0ubuntu1.1382), poppler-data:amd64 (0.4.7-8, 0.4.8-1), libsamplerate0:amd64 (0.1.8-8, 0.1.9-1), libsamplerate0:i386 (0.1.8-8, 0.1.9-1), unity-gtk3-module:amd64 (0.0.0+17.10.20170816-0ubuntu1, 0.0.0+17.10.20170817-0ubuntu1), libclutter-gtk-1.0-0:amd64 (1.8.2-2, 1.8.4-1), software-properties-common:amd64 (0.96.24.14, 0.96.24.15)
End-Date: 2017-08-18 07:58:17

Contents of syslog:

$ grep -i gnome-software /var/log/syslog
Aug 18 07:25:53 bribon gnome-software[6539]: no app for changed <email address hidden>
Aug 18 07:25:53 bribon gnome-software[6539]: no app for changed suspend-button@laserb
Aug 18 07:25:53 bribon gnome-software[6539]: no app for changed timezone@jwendell
Aug 18 07:31:24 bribon gnome-software[6539]: no app for changed timezone@jwendell
Aug 18 07:31:24 bribon gnome-software[6539]: no app for changed suspend-button@laserb
Aug 18 07:31:24 bribon gnome-software[6539]: no app for changed <email address hidden>
Aug 18 07:49:44 bribon gnome-software[6539]: no app for changed <email address hidden>
Aug 18 07:49:44 bribon gnome-software[6539]: no app for changed suspend-button@laserb
Aug 18 07:49:44 bribon gnome-software[6539]: no app for changed timezone@jwendell
Aug 18 07:57:49 bribon gnome-software[6539]: failed to rescan: Failed to parse /usr/share/applications/chromium-browser.desktop.dpkg-new file: cannot process file of type text/plain
Aug 18 07:57:49 brib...

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

It's done it again this morning. See attached screenshot.

Again, I have not opened the gnome-software GUI, only applied a few updates manually with apt:

Start-Date: 2017-08-19 10:03:08
Commandline: apt dist-upgrade
Requested-By: osomon (1000)
Install: gnome-shell-extension-ubuntu-dock:amd64 (0.2, automatic)
Upgrade: ubuntu-settings:amd64 (17.10.10, 17.10.12), gnome-control-center-data:amd64 (1:3.24.3-0ubuntu3, 1:3.24.3-0ubuntu4), libqpdf17:amd64 (6.0.0-2, 6.0.0-2ubuntu1), libaugeas0:amd64 (1.8.0-1, 1.8.1-1), gnome-video-effects:amd64 (0.4.1-3ubuntu1, 0.4.3-1ubuntu1), gnome-session:amd64 (3.24.1-0ubuntu20, 3.24.1-0ubuntu21), gedit:amd64 (3.22.1-0ubuntu1, 3.22.1-1ubuntu1), gnome-session-common:amd64 (3.24.1-0ubuntu20, 3.24.1-0ubuntu21), unity-session:amd64 (3.24.1-0ubuntu20, 3.24.1-0ubuntu21), gnome-control-center:amd64 (1:3.24.3-0ubuntu3, 1:3.24.3-0ubuntu4), libsystemd0:amd64 (234-2ubuntu2, 234-2ubuntu6), libsystemd0:i386 (234-2ubuntu2, 234-2ubuntu6), libpugixml1v5:amd64 (1.8.1-3, 1.8.1-5), xdg-user-dirs:amd64 (0.15-2ubuntu7, 0.15-3ubuntu1), snapd:amd64 (2.27.2+17.10, 2.27.3+17.10), augeas-lenses:amd64 (1.8.0-1, 1.8.1-1), gdebi-core:amd64 (0.9.5.7+nmu1, 0.9.5.7+nmu1ubuntu1), ubuntu-standard:amd64 (1.394, 1.395), ubuntu-session:amd64 (3.24.1-0ubuntu20, 3.24.1-0ubuntu21), ubuntu-desktop:amd64 (1.394, 1.395), udev:amd64 (234-2ubuntu2, 234-2ubuntu6), gdebi:amd64 (0.9.5.7+nmu1, 0.9.5.7+nmu1ubuntu1), libudev1:amd64 (234-2ubuntu2, 234-2ubuntu6), libio-socket-ssl-perl:amd64 (2.049-1, 2.050-1), libapt-pkg-perl:amd64 (0.1.32build1, 0.1.33), libgmime-3.0-0:amd64 (3.0.1-3, 3.0.1-4), ubuntu-minimal:amd64 (1.394, 1.395), libudev-dev:amd64 (234-2ubuntu2, 234-2ubuntu6), libnss-myhostname:amd64 (234-2ubuntu2, 234-2ubuntu6), systemd-sysv:amd64 (234-2ubuntu2, 234-2ubuntu6), gnome-shell-common:amd64 (3.24.3-0ubuntu3, 3.24.3-0ubuntu4), libpam-systemd:amd64 (234-2ubuntu2, 234-2ubuntu6), gedit-common:amd64 (3.22.1-0ubuntu1, 3.22.1-1ubuntu1), systemd:amd64 (234-2ubuntu2, 234-2ubuntu6), libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37:amd64 (2.17.90-1ubuntu1, 2.17.91-1ubuntu1), gnome-session-bin:amd64 (3.24.1-0ubuntu20, 3.24.1-0ubuntu21), qpdf:amd64 (6.0.0-2, 6.0.0-2ubuntu1), libgcab-1.0-0:amd64 (0.7-3, 0.7-4), gnome-control-center-faces:amd64 (1:3.24.3-0ubuntu3, 1:3.24.3-0ubuntu4), libnss-resolve:amd64 (234-2ubuntu2, 234-2ubuntu6), gir1.2-webkit2-4.0:amd64 (2.17.90-1ubuntu1, 2.17.91-1ubuntu1), gnome-shell:amd64 (3.24.3-0ubuntu3, 3.24.3-0ubuntu4), ubuntu-web-launchers:amd64 (17.10.10, 17.10.12), libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18:amd64 (2.17.90-1ubuntu1, 2.17.91-1ubuntu1), libidn2-0:amd64 (2.0.2-1, 2.0.2-3), libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37-gtk2:amd64 (2.17.90-1ubuntu1, 2.17.91-1ubuntu1), gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-4.0:amd64 (2.17.90-1ubuntu1, 2.17.91-1ubuntu1)
End-Date: 2017-08-19 10:03:58

Contents of syslog:

osomon@bribon:~$ grep -i gnome-software /var/log/syslog
Aug 19 10:10:39 bribon gnome-software[6948]: no app for changed suspend-button@laserb
Aug 19 10:10:39 bribon gnome-software[6948]: no app for changed timezone@jwendell
Aug 19 10:10:39 bribon gnome-software[6948]: no app for changed <email address hidden>
Aug 19 10:42:52 bribon gnome-software[6948]: no app for changed <email address hidden>...

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

Same experience than Olivier on resume from suspend. gnome-software was using 200% CPU.

[Ken VanDine (ken-vandine)]

I've hit this a few times and was never ever to find anything useful. However, this time I think I know what triggered the load. I manually installed d-feet with apt, and within a couple minutes removed it with apt. My laptop load spiked and stayed that way until I killed the process over 2 hours later. While debugging it, the only thing that stood out was this log message:

Sep 7 15:02:22 mucho gnome-software[5113]: failed to rescan: Failed to parse /usr/share/applications/d-feet.desktop file: cannot process file of type application/x-desktop

I heard the fan spin up less than a minute after I removed d-feet. Maybe something was queued to scan that desktop file and it was gone by the time it was ready to scan it? I briefly used strace on the process and it just looked like a bunch of waits, nothing that looked interesting. I left it in this state for over 2 hours to see if it would ever recover, but it didn't and I ultimately killed the gnome-software process.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Could be the same as bug #1716579 which has details/backtraces of snapd-glib code