kworker processes with very high CPU usage.

[chicharras]

On Wed, Oct 26, 2011 at 1:02 PM, NoOp <glgxg at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> On 10/26/2011 07:44 AM, chicharras wrote:
>> I am experiencing a nasty problem with my work laptop: Lenovo T61 -
>> Ubuntu 11.04 installed.
>>
>> With a fresh reboot and only running System Monitor I see one of my
>> CPUs fluctuate from 5% utilization to 100% every 12 or so seconds.
>> The other CPU fluctuates with the same frequency from 5% to 40%.
>> Nothing other than System Monitor is running.
>> Once I start the applications I work with, I experience very annoying
>> periodic delays in response time.
>> The top command shows some "kworker" processes that are taking all the
>> CPU. Here is a snapshot:
<<< snip >>>
>> Note: I googled quite a while and found many hits but none are
>> conclusive to me. Like the following bug with kernel 2.6.37:
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/717919
>>
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>
> This might be of interest w/some suggestions/related info:
> http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1630347
> [What is kworker?]
>
> Seems as if even Linus Torvolds had issues:
> https://lkml.org/lkml/2010/8/15/111
> http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel/1023264

Thank you very much for your help NoOp. I had seen that thread in
ubuntuforums, but I had missed the relevant post.
Your reference made me look closer and found the post that describes
my problem exactly.
My laptop has a bad ethernet port. I suppose the kworker process is
polling the port every few seconds.
I will disable it and buy a usb adapter.
Thanks again.