[Bug 906609] [NEW] updatedb.mlocate reserves large amount of low memory

[Philip Hardegen]

Public bug reported:

DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=10.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=lucid
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS"

2.6.32-34-generic-pae #77-Ubuntu SMP Tue Sep 13 21:16:18 UTC 2011 i686
GNU/Linux

32 GB RAM

mlocate:
  Installed: 0.22.2-1ubuntu1
  Candidate: 0.22.2-1ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 0.22.2-1ubuntu1 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

I noticed this after OOMKiller was being invoked. There were other
causes attributed to this, but as I monitored low memory usage, I
noticed a sharp drop in available low memory during cron.daily running.
After some experimentation I found out that the culprit was
updatedb.mlocate itself. None of the additional configuration by cron
was causing the large low memory usage.

I can consistently have 180/458 MB free in low memory, and after running
updatedb.mlocate it drops to 40/458 MB free.

I've read a bunch of reports about this causing IO and performance
issues, but nothing about memory usage. Is it expected for it to reserve
so much low memory?

** Affects: mlocate (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/906609

Title:
  updatedb.mlocate reserves large amount of low memory

Status in “mlocate” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
  DISTRIB_RELEASE=10.04
  DISTRIB_CODENAME=lucid
  DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS"

  2.6.32-34-generic-pae #77-Ubuntu SMP Tue Sep 13 21:16:18 UTC 2011 i686
  GNU/Linux

  32 GB RAM

  mlocate:
    Installed: 0.22.2-1ubuntu1
    Candidate: 0.22.2-1ubuntu1
    Version table:
   *** 0.22.2-1ubuntu1 0
          500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages
          100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

  I noticed this after OOMKiller was being invoked. There were other
  causes attributed to this, but as I monitored low memory usage, I
  noticed a sharp drop in available low memory during cron.daily
  running. After some experimentation I found out that the culprit was
  updatedb.mlocate itself. None of the additional configuration by cron
  was causing the large low memory usage.

  I can consistently have 180/458 MB free in low memory, and after
  running updatedb.mlocate it drops to 40/458 MB free.

  I've read a bunch of reports about this causing IO and performance
  issues, but nothing about memory usage. Is it expected for it to
  reserve so much low memory?

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