Indicator multiload applet causes excessive compiz/CPU usage

unity compiz cpu-load

6,284

On my xubuntu I have "Task Manager", I had a quick look and it doesn't appear to call indicator-multiload, and it's never caused a problem for me. Maybe give that a whirl?

I assume you've also uninstalled, purged, and reinstalled indicator-multiload, just in case successive overlay upgrades are the reason behind it being strange?

Best of luck!

6,284

Emanuel Landeholm

Hello! I'm a computer programmer. I'm currently working as a freelance programmer. My areas of relative expertise and interests include: Strong background in Computer Science topics like abstract datatypes and complexity analysis Rehabilitated C programmer. I know my way around POSIX Audio DSP geek with knowledge in synthesis and analysis methods Knowledge in discrete mathematics, combinatorics, linear systems, numerical methods, calculus, probability theory, number theory The fruitful intersection of functional and object oriented programming Python 2/3, scipy/numpy and jupyter Linux geek since the previous century (using, programming and administrating Ubuntu, Arch, Fedora and Gentoo) The LAMP stack Bash/Perl/Awk programming experience Javascript apprentice with CSS, DOM and jQuery knowledge Knowledge in (Common, e-) lisp and Scheme C-64 coder (BASIC V2.0 and 6510 machine code) Amiga 500 / MC68000 coder HP-48 / RPN programming Random achievements: I have been involved in designing and programming a web search service essentially from the bottom up. Back end and front end. I coded a Break Out clone in C and assembly for the Amiga 500 and another one in machine code for the C-64 Several man-months of machine coding demo effects on the C-64 and Amiga 500 I have contributed to the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences: https://oeis.org/A290032 This is my github: https://github.com/elandeholm

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

Emanuel Landeholm over 1 year

** Update: I recently upgraded to Ubuntu 14.10 and compiz is now at 1% CPU.

Most of the compiz cycles consumed on my system are caused by "indicator-multiload". This has been a problem for me since, at least, 12.04. I am running Ubuntu 14.10 on an Asus laptop with the AMD/ATI chipset.

I have configured indicator-multiload to only update once every 2000 ms in order to keep CPU usage down to a sensible level.

Short of forking the code, are there any ways to mitigate this excessive CPU usage?

indicator-multiload is a must for me since I need to monitor CPU usage conveniently and I know of no alternative.

Current usage is 5-10%
- Elder Geek over 9 years
  
  Can you please define "sensible level" for CPU usage? With firefox open and a CPU that is well over 3 years old I get single digits at idle (steady state) 2 to 6% with indicator multi-load. Are you sure it's not compiz itself causing the problem? See: bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+bug/803943
- Elder Geek over 9 years
  
  Possibly relevant: askubuntu.com/questions/310247/compiz-high-cpu?rq=1
- Emanuel Landeholm over 9 years
  
  Current usage is 5-10%. Ideally, I'd like to see less than a percent, but maybe I'm just naive.
- Emanuel Landeholm over 9 years
  
  Could definitely be a compiz issue. Thanks for the ptr
- Elder Geek over 9 years
  
  Usage doesn't seem high enough for this to be a compiz issue...
Elder Geek over 9 years

indicator-multiload is a seperate package that you can download from the software center or via apt-get. It places a mini monitor on the tool bar at the top of the page for easy monitoring of CPU, Memory, SWAP, etc....