Xorg using excessive CPU

[Jane Atkinson]

I'm using Thunderbird 11.0 from Mozilla (not the repositories) so that I can share a profile with other installations.

Just over the last few days, if I start Thunderbird as soon as I've logged into Precise, xorg starts hogging CPU. Top shows over 90% in use, and the system becomes very sluggish. The only cure seems to be either rebooting or (simpler) logging out and in again. Sometimes I have to kill the Xserver instead of logging out.

Waiting for a little while (say, a minute) before launching Thunderbird seems to solve the problem.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: xorg 1:7.6+12ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-20.33-generic-pae 3.2.12
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-20-generic-pae i686
.tmp.unity.support.test.1:

ApportVersion: 1.95-0ubuntu1
Architecture: i386
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Thu Mar 29 13:29:41 2012
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, if not too technical
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Beta i386 (20120301)
MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-20-generic-pae root=UUID=366c0083-3641-4b50-9a87-12c0fbca9703 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 03/25/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies, LTD
dmi.bios.version: ASUS P5VD2-VM ACPI BIOS Revision 1302
dmi.board.name: P5VD2-VM
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: 1.XX
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 123456789000
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: 1111
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologies,LTD:bvrASUSP5VD2-VMACPIBIOSRevision1302:bd03/25/2008:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvr:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnP5VD2-VM:rvr1.XX:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvr1111:
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.7.2-0ubuntu4
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.32-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 8.0.2-0ubuntu2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 8.0.2-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu7
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.0-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20111219.aacbd629-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.17.0-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1build2

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Troubleshooting/HighCPU

[Jane Atkinson (irihapeti)]

Just to add to the fun, I had the problem occur *without* launching Thunderbird. As before, logging out fixed it.

I checked the link, and found it too much for my tired brain at the moment.

[Jane Atkinson (irihapeti)]

This *may* be related, though I'm not 100% sure.

Today, I was running updates in synaptic and writing an email in Thunderbird at the same time.

I selected some text and tried to drag it to a new position in the email. X completely locked up. I could move the mouse pointer but couldn't click on anything. Ctrl-alt-backspace (I have it set to kill the X server) did nothing.

Alt-sysrq-REISUB brought about a reboot, but a grub error ensued. /dev/sdb (sata disk 2) had completely disappeared from the BIOS listing!!

Disconnecting power entirely for a few minutes solved that problem. Had something of this kind not happened to me previously, I'd have been in a first-class panic.

Once the system was reloaded, the mouse pointer was still locked and another reboot was needed to fix that.

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

When I updated to precise about 10 days ago I ran into a similar problem. Upgrading to version 17 of the mozilla products seems to have had a positive impact.

What is your status?

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

I reported my issue as bug 1087535

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

this is apparently a problem with one of Mozilla's own binaries. as such, LP wouldn't be the appropriate place to report a problem.

Please let us know what your status is.

[Jane Atkinson (irihapeti)]

That particular version of Thunderbird is long since superseded, and I don't have the problem any more. The bug can be expired as far as I'm concerned.

Are individual reporters supposed to change the status of bugs in cases like this?

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

It would certainly be nice to update the ticket with new information as it becomes available to you.