High CPU usage

  • emilianoeheyns
    I'm currently (occasionally, I can't reproduce at will) seeing something similar. From the debug log (D1780424802) it doesn't seem to be doing much but top shows zotero-bin taking approx 150% (so a core and a half) and the laptop fan revved up. A restart of Zotero will consistently make it calm down.
  • dstillman
    edited June 13, 2018
    @emilianoeheyns: The above was GPU, though, so if you're seeing CPU usage, that's something else.
  • dstillman
    The debug output shows a normal file sync, scanning for modified files. Are you only seeing the CPU usage during a sync (probably a manual sync where you click the button, which is a more resource intensive), or also after the sync finishes?
  • emilianoeheyns
    It wasn't related to the sync, high CPU use was there throughout. I initiated a manual sync to see whether the logging worked as nothing was being added to the log during the high-CPU episode otherwise.
  • AntonBruder
    I'm having the same problem as emilianoeheyns
  • dstillman
    @AntonBruder: We need more details.

    Can you provide a Debug ID for a period during which Zotero is using full CPU?

    Are you seeing this immediately after starting Zotero, or does it only start happening later? If the former, does it happen with auto-sync disabled?
  • AntonBruder
    It was the former, but I turned off auto-sync and now it's all fine, down to like 8%. Thank you!
  • dstillman
    No, auto-sync shouldn’t cause this (and we strongly recommend using it), and Zotero should also use approximately 0% when idle. So we’d still want a Debug ID for a period where this was happening.
  • AntonBruder
    Huh OK. How do I provide the debug ID?
  • AntonBruder
    Got it: D2125182951
  • dstillman
    That's just for Zotero startup. We need a Debug ID that covers only a period during which there's high CPU usage and you're not doing anything else.
  • AntonBruder
    D58498276

    I can send a screenshot of CPU usage?
  • dstillman
    edited July 22, 2020
    No, that's still just a Debug ID for Zotero startup, which isn't what we need here. Don't use "Restart with Logging Enabled…". When you're seeing high CPU usage by Zotero, just start debug output logging, let it sit there for a little bit (again, while it's using CPU), and then submit the output.
  • dstillman
    You can upload screenshots somewhere (e.g., Dropbox) and provide a link here or email them to support@zotero.org with a link to this thread.
  • AntonBruder
    1396502947 is this right? Or this one, I just did it again: D332796139

  • dstillman
    edited July 22, 2020
    The first one is a Report ID, which is a different kind of report. The second one is a Debug ID, but there's other stuff happening in the output — e.g., accessing a library catalog in your browser, which triggers a translator request to Zotero.

    The point here is really just to start debug output logging while you're seeing high CPU usage and then not touch your computer until you're ready to submit the output, while keeping the CPU meter open so you can verify that it's actually using 100% CPU the whole time.
  • dstillman
    edited July 22, 2020
    But that output also shows something related to file syncing. You say this doesn't happen with auto-sync disabled, but is the problem actually auto-sync being enabled, or is the problem that there's an ongoing sync, or that there was a sync since starting Zotero (which you can trigger manually to test) that left it in some state where it's using a lot of CPU?
  • AntonBruder
    Thanks for all your help, sorry for not getting the right debug ID, i'll try again now.

    The problem seems arise either when I have Zotero running with auto-sync enabled, or when I have it running without auto-sync and I do a one-off sync triggered manually. In the former case, CPU usage is up to like 130% and stays there, and the laptop overheats. In the second case, before triggering a sync, Zotero uses between 0 and 10% CPU, but then leaps up to the 130s again.

    So just now: I opened Zotero, with auto-sync disabled. I triggered a manual sync and the CPU usage shot up. I started the Debug output logging and waited a while, not doing anything else, and I got this ID: D687719547. I had the activity monitor open the whole time and it was using between 130 and 140% CPU.
  • dstillman
    edited July 23, 2020
    OK, thanks — we're getting somewhere.
    I triggered a manual sync and the CPU usage shot up.
    Could we see a Debug ID that includes this sync?

    If you disable file syncing in the Sync pane of the preferences, does a manual sync still cause CPU usage to shoot up?
  • AntonBruder
    The last debug ID was submitted during that manual sync. Do you mean a debug ID taken once the sync is complete?
  • dstillman
    The last Debug ID didn’t show any sync activity. I’m asking for a Debug ID that starts before you start a manual sync.
  • AntonBruder
    D1965343459

    Another problem is that the manual sync never stops - the green arrow just keeps turning and turning and I end up having to press the 'stop' button because my laptop gets so hot.
  • dstillman
    (3)(+0000002): 1 file to upload for My Library

    (3)(+0000004): [ConcurrentCaller] [1/upload] Running function (0/2 running, 0 queued)

    (3)(+0000000): Initializing upload request 1/82G2URFC

    (3)(+0000001): Starting upload request 1/82G2URFC

    (3)(+0000001): [ConcurrentCaller] [1/upload] Nothing left to run -- waiting for running tasks to complete

    (3)(+0000002): File download sync finished for My Library (0 succeeded, 0 failed)

    (3)(+0018309): Starting full-text content processor

    (3)(+0003791): Submitting debug output
    So that shows a single file being uploaded, and you submitted this about 22 seconds later. That certainly shouldn't cause high CPU usage, but the file also should finish uploading. If you paste 82G2URFC into the Zotero search bar in All Fields & Tags mode, right-click on the attachment that shows up, and choose Show File, how big is the associated file?
  • AntonBruder
    Ah, 4.02 GB. I'd forgot about that - I have removed it.
  • AntonBruder
    OK I did the same thing again, having removed that PDF, and it still went up to 138% CPU and didn't finish uploading D1576636415
  • dstillman
    Did you empty the trash?

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