vino-server child processes die and respawn rapidly

[Brian J. Murrell]

Binary package hint: vino

On my up-to-date Jaunty system, vino-server seems to be stuck in a loop of spawning a child only to have that child die immediately, at which point it spawns a new one. Notice:

$ while true; do ps -ef | grep vino | grep -v grep; done
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28049 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28049 8403 4 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28056 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28056 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 [vino-server]
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28061 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28069 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28069 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28075 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28075 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28083 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28083 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 [vino-server]
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28087 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28087 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28087 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 [vino-server] <defunct>
brian 28097 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28097 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28104 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28104 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28111 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28111 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28121 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28121 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28128 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28128 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28128 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28135 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 [vino-server]
brian 28139 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28139 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28139 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28139 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28152 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
brian 27573 8403 5 00:12 ? 00:00:03 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server --sm-config-prefix /vino-server-O6V52s/ --sm-client-id 10c8191b89a25fc078123939500173171700000068970016 --screen 0
brian 28152 8403 0 00:13 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server

This has the side effect of hammering the crap out of the dbus and the CPU via Xorg:

  PID USER PR NI VIRT RES SHR S %CPU %MEM TIME+ COMMAND
 7971 root 15 -5 311m 135m 37m R 23 4.9 26:34.78 Xorg

Xorg's CPU will go down to nil once I stop the remote desktop feature.

[Paul P. (o-launchpad-burgerbum-com)]

I see this exact same problem.

PS counter increments by 80 in less than a second. This is very hard on the box. Vino works, but everything is very slow.

root@baby:/var/log# while true; do ps -ef | grep vino | grep -v grep | egrep -v config; done
baby 17120 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17120 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17129 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17129 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 [vino-server]
baby 17138 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17146 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17146 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17153 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17153 2844 8 15:25 ? 00:00:00 [vino-server] <defunct>
baby 17160 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17160 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17168 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17175 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17175 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17183 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17183 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 [vino-server]
baby 17191 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17199 2844 3 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17199 2844 6 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server
baby 17207 2844 0 15:25 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/vino/vino-server

[Paul P. (o-launchpad-burgerbum-com)]

I figured out the problem.

Setting the "System/Preferences/Remote Desktop" menu item such that your computer listens for remote desktop connections starts vino.

If you save a session including vino, x-session-manager will keep trying to spawn that over and over, failing because vino is already running.

SO...

Problem solved: look at the parent of the respawning vino processes: It ain't the original vino process. For me, it was x-session-manager.

A solution would be to go to your ~/.config/gnome-session/saved-session, grep for "vino", and delete any files with that string. Restart X.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thanks for the bug report. This particular bug has already been reported, but feel free to report any other bugs you find.