Bug 324990 - Screensaver processes remain in memory after keyboard action and on reboot
Summary: Screensaver processes remain in memory after keyboard action and on reboot
Status: RESOLVED UNMAINTAINED
Alias: None
Product: kscreensaver
Classification: Miscellaneous
Component: screensavers (show other bugs)
Version: 4.11.1
Platform: Kubuntu Linux
: NOR critical
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: kscreensaver bugs tracking
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2013-09-17 10:12 UTC by Samuel
Modified: 2018-09-04 04:06 UTC (History)
0 users

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In:


Attachments
System Monitor, System Load change after removing 6 screensaver processes (65.46 KB, image/jpeg)
2013-09-17 10:12 UTC, Samuel
Details
Konsole screenshot of htop showing kslideshow.kss still running after being stopped (107.60 KB, image/png)
2014-02-16 17:12 UTC, Shokushu
Details

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Description Samuel 2013-09-17 10:12:49 UTC
Created attachment 82360 [details]
System Monitor, System Load change after removing 6 screensaver processes

When I have my system on with screensavers deactivated by keyboard action, all the *.kss processes remain in memory.  The number depends on the number of times the screen savers are deactivated.  In my case, I have dual monitors which doubles the number of screen saver kss processes.   If I reboot, these processes are still in memory and using CPU cycles.  On reboot I have had over 20 different screen saver windows to exit.

To illustrate this point I have attached the System Monitor, System Load that I get before and after I killed six *.kss processes.
Comment 1 Jekyll Wu 2013-09-17 15:22:10 UTC

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 314859 ***
Comment 2 Samuel 2013-09-19 00:49:26 UTC
(In reply to comment #1)
> 
> 
> *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 314859 ***

This is not a duplicate as the system now keeps "ALL" screensaver process in memory.  This leads to increasing CPU load as the number of .kss processes increases when a computer is left on for a long period with frequent returns to it.  I have had cases when about 100% of CPU is used and the system becomes sluggish.  

My current practice is to start the system monitor and kill the plethora of .kss process.  NOT A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION.  I have been tempted to remove screen savers and have done so on the system used by my wife as I do not want to put her through this unpleasant procedure.
Comment 3 Samuel 2013-09-25 06:36:44 UTC
I should add that, for my screen Saver Settings in Screen Locker, I have Random selected.  I do this so that I can have a variety of screen savers when I return to my computer.  I also have another monitor connected and this has a different screen saver displayed.  So for every session there are two .kss tasks activated.

I am now at the point where I am totally sick of having .kss files hogging processing power after I start to use my computer.  I have now decided to just have a blank screen saver selected and I have kblankscrn.kss excluded from starting when I boot up.
Comment 4 Shokushu 2014-02-16 17:12:53 UTC
Created attachment 85182 [details]
Konsole screenshot of htop showing kslideshow.kss still running after being stopped

I can confirm this. I'm using the latest version 4.12.1, and it's still the same. All screensaver processes keep running after the screensaver has stopped.
I'm using only the "Slideshow" screensaver (kslideshow.kss).

After the screensaver has stopped, it's not displayed anymore, but the process keeps running in the background and pointlessly wastes cpu and memory ressources.
If the screensaver has been running multiple times during a session, then multiple screensaver processes add up.

See the Konsole screenshot of htop, where "kslideshow.kss" is hogging a whopping 30% of the cpu ressources, as well as 350 MB of virtual memory and 85 MB of physical memory, a good while after the screensaver has stopped!

It would be highly desirable if someone fixed this bug, so that the screensaver process is terminated once it stops, instead of keeping running in the background. That way, I wouldn't have to kill the screensaver processes myself all the time using System Monitor or htop.
Comment 5 Andrew Crouthamel 2018-09-04 04:06:18 UTC
Hello! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this project has been unmaintained for many years and I will be closing this bug. Please re-test and file a new bug with kscreenlocker if the issue persists.