[Bug 332790] Re: updatedb.mlocate slows applications to unusable state, while running

[David Ordenes D.]

Also happening to me  in 12.04. This might be the first time I run into this issue.
Despite the -c3 argument, I couldn't use my computer for a couple of minutes, 
resulting in even more sluggishness than a long kswapd0 run.

$ sudo sh -x /etc/cron.daily/mlocate
 + set -e
 + [ -x /usr/bin/updatedb.mlocate ]
 + which on_ac_power
 + ON_BATTERY=0
 + on_ac_power
 + [ 0 -eq 1 ]
 + LOCKFILE=/var/lib/mlocate/daily.lock
 + trap rm -f /var/lib/mlocate/daily.lock EXIT
 + [ -e /var/lib/mlocate/daily.lock ]
 +  touch /var/lib/mlocate/daily.lock
 + [ -x /usr/bin/ionice ]
 + /usr/bin/ionice -c3 true
 + IONICE=/usr/bin/ionice -c3
 + /usr/bin/ionice -c3 /usr/bin/updatedb.mlocate
 + rm -f /var/lib/mlocate/daily.lock

$ ls /etc/cron.daily/find
 ls: cannot access /etc/cron.daily/find: No such file or directory

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/332790

Title:
  updatedb.mlocate slows applications to unusable state, while running

Status in “findutils” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “mlocate” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: mlocate

  Every time updatedb.mlocate is running its scheduled task, it occupies hard disk and its bandwith
  so user space aplications become slow and unresponsive.

  Every time it runs i am mostly unable to do normal work on my machine an i need to wait
  couple of minutes, doing nothing until that updatedb.mlocate thing is done.

  I think that this is user-unfriendly behavior of updatedb.mlocate and I think that 
  it should run with some kind of lower priority to dissk, not disturbing user experience
  and nor destroying Ubuntu usability for those few minutes.
  I even switched time when that update runs , according to irc channel support,
  and it still bugs me and destroy usability when i use computer at that time.

  Current behavior: updatedb.mlocate occupies whole disk bandwith when it is run on scheduled time,
   not allowing user space applications to run and turn system in unusable state during that run.
  Crucial user-space actions are affected during its run.

  Wated behavior: updatedb.mlocate should run at lower priority at disk usage to avoid
  blocking Ubuntu computer for the time it runs.

  I run Xubuntu Hardy amd64 8.04.2/LTS

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