Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]


Groups > alt.os.linux.slackware > #26633

HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE

From Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere>
Newsgroups alt.os.linux.slackware, comp.os.linux.hardware
Subject HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE
Followup-To alt.os.linux.slackware
Date 2016-04-11 02:47 -0300
Organization Bridgewater Institute for Advanced Study - Blacksmith Shop
Message-ID <87potwelxq.fsf@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> (permalink)

Cross-posted to 2 groups.

Followups directed to: alt.os.linux.slackware

Show all headers | View raw


I've had to replace a failed 80G IDE drive with a 150G SATA drive.

Writes to the new HD seem to be hogging memory, stalling X response
and other HD reads such as causing  music playing from a .wav file on
HD to stutter.

After reinstall of Slackware 11 [1] from original media, recovery of
files from backups and tweaking all the idiosyncratic configs, I'm
back to just where I was before the failure except for this bogging
down on big HD writes.

These, which write the HD, cause the problem:

    cp USB-stick/bigfile  ->  hda3
    cp hda3/bigfile       ->  hda4

but these, which only read the HD, don't:

    cp hda3/bigfile         -> USB-stick
    cp USB-stick/bigfile    -> Other USB-stick
    mplayer hda3/some-video.mp4

I have P4 CPU, Slack 11, 2.4.33 kernel and 256M of RAM with which this
problem didn't occur before replacing the HD.

The new SATA HD plugs into one of two ports on the IBM mobo labeled
"SATA IDE 1" and "SATA IDE 2".   The drive is seen by Linux as hda,
not sda. (Some on-mobo emulation I don't know about?)

I have /sys but it's empty.

/proc/sys/vm contains the following files:

    bdflush
    block_dump
    kswapd
    laptop_mode
    max-readahead
    max_map_count
    min-readahead
    overcommit_memory
    page-cluster
    pagetable_cache
    vm_anon_lru
    vm_cache_scan_ratio
    vm_gfp_debug
    vm_lru_balance_ratio
    vm_mapped_ratio
    vm_passes
    vm_vfs_scan_ratio



It seems like I should be able to fix this problem -- apparently vm
hogging RAM on HD writes -- with a tweak to one (or more) of those
files.

After looking at /usr/src/linux-2.4.33.3/Documentation/sysctl/vm.txt,
I've tried (one at a time):

       Reducing max-readahead      from  31  to  15
       Reducing bdflush [interval] from 500  to 100
       Reducing bdflush [sync]     from  60  to  20

with no effect.

Any specific suggestions on fixing this?

- Mike


[1] Yes, there's a  reason for using Slack 11, not relevant here.

-- 
Mike Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada

Back to alt.os.linux.slackware | Previous | NextNext in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread


Thread

HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2016-04-11 02:47 -0300
  Re: HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE Thomas Richter <thor@math.tu-berlin.de> - 2016-04-11 09:14 +0200
    Re: HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE root <NoEMail@home.org> - 2016-04-11 16:54 +0000
  Re: HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE JohnF <john@please.see.sig.for.email.com> - 2016-04-11 07:22 +0000
  Re: HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE philo <philo@privacy.net> - 2016-04-11 04:19 -0500
    Re: HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2016-04-13 00:06 -0300
      Re: HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE philo <philo@privacy.net> - 2016-04-13 13:26 -0500
  Re: HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@invalid.es> - 2016-04-11 11:30 +0200
  Re: HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE Joe Beanfish <joebeanfish@nospam.duh> - 2016-04-11 13:17 +0000
  Re: HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-04-11 15:43 +0000
    Re: HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2016-04-12 23:42 -0300
      Re: HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2016-04-13 03:29 +0000
        Re: HD writes hog RAM with SATA HD replacing an IDE Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2016-04-15 03:08 -0300

csiph-web