[Bug 1004947] [NEW] "apt-cache search" is slow because of listing /var/lib/apt/lists 45227 times

[Daniel Hahler]

Public bug reported:

I've recognized that "apt-cache search" has become quite slow on my
system, and when stracing it it shows that it lists the contents of
/var/lib/apt/lists a lot (45227 times!):

    openat(AT_FDCWD, "/var/lib/apt/lists/", O_RDONLY|O_NONBLOCK|O_LARGEFILE|O_DIRECTORY|O_CLOEXEC) = 3
    getdents64(3, /* 156 entries */, 32768) = 13920
    getdents64(3, /* 0 entries */, 32768)   = 0
    close(3)                                = 0

% grep -c 'openat(AT_FDCWD, "/var/lib/apt/lists/"' apt-cache-search-strace.txt 
45227
(this count is reproducible with a second run)

% time apt-cache search tomahawk
apt-cache search tomahawk  3.84s user 4.54s system 99% cpu 8.427 total

I am attaching the full output of strace.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: apt 0.8.16~exp12ubuntu10
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.39-generic-pae 3.2.16
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic-pae i686
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu8
Architecture: i386
Date: Sat May 26 19:39:11 2012
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
SourcePackage: apt
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2011-12-16 (162 days ago)

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


** Tags: apport-bug i386 precise

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1004947

Title:
  "apt-cache search" is slow because of listing /var/lib/apt/lists 45227
  times

Status in “apt” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I've recognized that "apt-cache search" has become quite slow on my
  system, and when stracing it it shows that it lists the contents of
  /var/lib/apt/lists a lot (45227 times!):

      openat(AT_FDCWD, "/var/lib/apt/lists/", O_RDONLY|O_NONBLOCK|O_LARGEFILE|O_DIRECTORY|O_CLOEXEC) = 3
      getdents64(3, /* 156 entries */, 32768) = 13920
      getdents64(3, /* 0 entries */, 32768)   = 0
      close(3)                                = 0

  % grep -c 'openat(AT_FDCWD, "/var/lib/apt/lists/"' apt-cache-search-strace.txt 
  45227
  (this count is reproducible with a second run)

  % time apt-cache search tomahawk
  apt-cache search tomahawk  3.84s user 4.54s system 99% cpu 8.427 total

  I am attaching the full output of strace.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
  Package: apt 0.8.16~exp12ubuntu10
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.39-generic-pae 3.2.16
  Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic-pae i686
  ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu8
  Architecture: i386
  Date: Sat May 26 19:39:11 2012
  EcryptfsInUse: Yes
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
  SourcePackage: apt
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2011-12-16 (162 days ago)

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