ubuntu 16.04 became VERY slow

[Gene Heskett]

On Monday 19 December 2016 04:20:33 robert rottermann wrote:

> thanks colin
>
> On 19.12.2016 09:56, Colin Law wrote:
> > On 19 December 2016 at 08:40, robert rottermann <robert at redcor.ch> 
wrote:
> >> Hi there,
> >>
> >> i am using ubuntu 16.04 on on a reasonably modern box.
> >>
> >> During the last couple of weeks it has become unbearably slow.
> >
> > Slow doing what?
>
> everything  :(
> switching from one window to an other with alt tab, can take 2secs or
> so.
>
> > If you run
> > tail -f /var/log/syslog
> > which will show syslog as it is written to do you see significant
> > activity there or anything like looks like ongoing errors?
>
> no, here it is (and it seems rather static)
>
> root at mozart:/home/robert# tail -f /var/log/syslog -n 30
>
> Dec 19 10:09:24 mozart systemd[1]: Started ACPI event daemon.
>
> Dec 19 10:09:24 mozart systemd[1]: Started CUPS Scheduler.
>
> Dec 19 10:09:24 mozart smartd[12445]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], is SMART
> capable. Adding to "monitor" list.
>
> Dec 19 10:09:24 mozart smartd[12445]: Monitoring 2 ATA and 0 SCSI
> devices
>
> Dec 19 10:09:25 mozart smartd[12445]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], state
> written to
> /var/lib/smartmontools/smartd.ST31000524AS-9VPGLDY0.ata.state
>
> Dec 19 10:09:25 mozart smartd[12445]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], state
> written to
> /var/lib/smartmontools/smartd.WDC_WD10EALX_089BA0-WD_WCATR8111487.ata.
>state
>
> Dec 19 10:10:01 mozart com.ubuntu.OneConf[2986]:
> WARNING:oneconf.hosts:Error in loading other_hosts file: [Errno 2] No
> such file or directory:
> '/home/robert/.cache/oneconf/813e56ef1c4f171bda95b46b5448007c/other_ho
>sts'
>
> Dec 19 10:10:50 mozart systemd[1]: dev-sdc2.device: Job
> dev-sdc2.device/start timed out.
>
> Dec 19 10:10:50 mozart systemd[1]: Timed out waiting for device
> dev-sdc2.device.
>
> Dec 19 10:10:50 mozart systemd[1]: Dependency failed for /dev/sdc2.
>
> Dec 19 10:10:50 mozart systemd[1]: dev-sdc2.swap: Job
> dev-sdc2.swap/start failed with result 'dependency'.
>
> Dec 19 10:10:50 mozart systemd[1]: dev-sdc2.device: Job
> dev-sdc2.device/start failed with result 'timeout'.
>
> Dec 19 10:10:50 mozart systemd[1]: dev-sdc1.device: Job
> dev-sdc1.device/start timed out.
>
> Dec 19 10:10:50 mozart systemd[1]: Timed out waiting for device
> dev-sdc1.device.
>
> Dec 19 10:10:50 mozart systemd[1]: Dependency failed for /dev/sdc1.
>
> Dec 19 10:10:50 mozart systemd[1]: dev-sdc1.swap: Job
> dev-sdc1.swap/start failed with result 'dependency'.
>
> Dec 19 10:10:50 mozart systemd[1]: dev-sdc1.device: Job
> dev-sdc1.device/start failed with result 'timeout'.
>
> Dec 19 10:14:57 mozart gnome-session[3127]: (gnome-software:3222):
> As-WARNING **: failed to rescan: Failed to parse
> /usr/share/applications/gsmartcontrol.desktop.dpkg-new file: cannot
> process file of type text/plain
>
> Dec 19 10:14:57 mozart gnome-session[3127]: (gnome-software:3222):
> As-WARNING **: failed to rescan: Failed to parse
> /usr/share/applications/gsmartcontrol.desktop file: cannot process
> file of type application/x-desktop
>
> Dec 19 10:15:00 mozart gnome-session[3127]: (gnome-software:3222):
> As-WARNING **: failed to rescan: Failed to parse
> /usr/share/applications/bamf-2.index file: cannot process file of type
> text/plain
>
> Dec 19 10:15:01 mozart gnome-session[3127]: (gnome-software:3222):
> Gs-WARNING **: Failed to create permission
> org.freedesktop.packagekit.trigger-offline-update:
> GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.Error.Failed: Action
> org.freedesktop.packagekit.trigger-offline-update is not registered
>
> Dec 19 10:15:02 mozart /usr/lib/snapd/snapd[1139]: daemon.go:174:
> DEBUG: uid=1000;@ GET /v2/snaps 28.332762ms 200
>
> Dec 19 10:15:03 mozart gnome-session[3127]: (gnome-software:3222):
> Gs-WARNING **: Failed to create permission
> org.freedesktop.packagekit.trigger-offline-update:
> GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.Error.Failed: Action
> org.freedesktop.packagekit.trigger-offline-update is not registered
>
> Dec 19 10:15:03 mozart gnome-session[3127]: (gnome-software:3222):
> Gs-WARNING **: Failed to create permission
> org.freedesktop.packagekit.trigger-offline-update:
> GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.Error.Failed: Action
> org.freedesktop.packagekit.trigger-offline-update is not registered
>
> Dec 19 10:15:07 mozart gnome-session[3127]: (gnome-software:3222):
> Gs-WARNING **: gimp.desktop changing management plugin PackageKit->apt
>
> Dec 19 10:15:10 mozart gnome-session[3127]: (gnome-software:3222):
> GsPlugin-WARNING **: failed to load stock icon hotwire-openssh: Icon
> 'hotwire-openssh' not present in theme (null)
>
> Dec 19 10:15:11 mozart gnome-session[3127]: (gnome-software:3222):
> GsPlugin-WARNING **: failed to load stock icon preferences-system:
> Icon 'preferences-system' not present in theme (null)
>
> Dec 19 10:15:14 mozart gnome-session[3127]: (gnome-software:3222):
> GsPlugin-WARNING **: failed to load stock icon preferences-system:
> Icon 'preferences-system' not present in theme (null)
>
> Dec 19 10:15:14 mozart gnome-session[3127]: (gnome-software:3222):
> GsPlugin-WARNING **: failed to load stock icon hotwire-openssh: Icon
> 'hotwire-openssh' not present in theme (null)
>
> Dec 19 10:17:01 mozart CRON[13580]: (root) CMD (   cd / && run-parts
> --report /etc/cron.hourly)
>
> > Run the Disks utility and look at the SMART data and check it says
> > the disk is ok

Ack the above log, its trying to talk to a third disk, /dev/sdc.

> I checked with GSmartControl, and both disks indicate:
> Overall Health Self-Assessment Test: PASSED

use the cli tooling in smartmon-tools to look at /dev/sdc. Methinks you 
have a screwed up fstab, or a failed 3rd drive.  If the sata cable is 
hot red colored, and more than a couple years old, replace it with any 
other color BUT the hot red, that plastic dye that makes it so brite and 
impressive is also a copper dissolver. Been there, done that, about 6 or 
7 of those crappy cables since the sata interface came out.

If you can watch a "tail -fn50 /var/log/messages" log and move each of 
those cables gently, and the log goes wild, shutdown and replace that 
cable.

> more ideas?

My $0.02.

> thanks
> robert
>
> > Colin


Cheers, Gene Heskett
-- 
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>