Packagekit always looking for updates and uses memory and cpu

Hello everybody
I wonder if it is normal to find packagekit that consumes about 300mb, which always looks for updates on the logs and that sometimes this background service uses some% of CPU?
Why does it always look for updates every X ms?

[emanu@desktop ~]$ systemctl status packagekit
● packagekit.service - PackageKit Daemon
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/packagekit.service; static)
Active: active (running) since Sun 2021-03-21 13:11:02 CET; 41min ago
Main PID: 24290 (packagekitd)
Tasks: 6 (limit: 19063)
Memory: 626.6M
CPU: 47.530s
CGroup: /system.slice/packagekit.service
├─24290 /usr/libexec/packagekitd
├─24315 gpg-agent --homedir /var/cache/PackageKit/33/metadata/phracek-PyCharm-33-x86_64.tmp/gpgdir --use-standard-socket --daemon
└─24843 gpg-agent --homedir /var/cache/PackageKit/33/metadata/updates-33-x86_64.tmp/gpgdir --use-standard-socket --daemon

emanu@desktop:~$ journalctl -f
– Logs begin at Sun 2021-03-21 10:37:17 CET. –
mar 21 13:44:32 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216031_daeabebb from uid 1000 finished with success after 59ms
mar 21 13:44:33 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216032_bcabbcae from uid 1000 finished with success after 50ms
mar 21 13:44:34 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216033_adeaedcc from uid 1000 finished with success after 46ms
mar 21 13:44:35 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216034_eddccead from uid 1000 finished with success after 69ms
mar 21 13:44:36 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216035_bdabddde from uid 1000 finished with success after 47ms
mar 21 13:44:37 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216036_ececabcc from uid 1000 finished with success after 69ms
mar 21 13:44:38 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216037_eecadbad from uid 1000 finished with success after 47ms
mar 21 13:44:39 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216038_ceccacbb from uid 1000 finished with success after 65ms
mar 21 13:44:40 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216039_cbeeddbb from uid 1000 finished with success after 69ms
mar 21 13:44:41 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216040_adbaeccb from uid 1000 finished with success after 68ms
mar 21 13:44:42 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216041_ebbbbdea from uid 1000 finished with success after 46ms
mar 21 13:44:43 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216042_aeacabed from uid 1000 finished with success after 48ms
mar 21 13:44:44 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216043_eeeaaeea from uid 1000 finished with success after 56ms
mar 21 13:44:45 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216044_abbcdbba from uid 1000 finished with success after 44ms
mar 21 13:44:46 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216045_acbeeacd from uid 1000 finished with success after 45ms

– Logs begin at Sun 2021-03-21 10:37:17 CET. –
mar 21 13:56:35 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216755_aadedbcb from uid 1000 finished with success after 47ms
mar 21 13:56:36 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216756_aadaebee from uid 1000 finished with success after 68ms
mar 21 13:56:37 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216757_ebbdebca from uid 1000 finished with success after 49ms
mar 21 13:56:38 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216758_debecaea from uid 1000 finished with success after 49ms
mar 21 13:56:39 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216759_dacdabba from uid 1000 finished with success after 48ms
mar 21 13:56:40 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216760_ddccbbca from uid 1000 finished with success after 48ms
mar 21 13:56:41 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216761_dadcddda from uid 1000 finished with success after 50ms
mar 21 13:56:42 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216762_eecdeeaa from uid 1000 finished with success after 46ms
mar 21 13:56:43 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216763_bbecccbd from uid 1000 finished with success after 68ms
mar 21 13:56:44 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216764_ebcaccad from uid 1000 finished with success after 47ms
mar 21 13:56:45 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216765_cacbcbea from uid 1000 finished with success after 48ms
mar 21 13:56:46 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216766_ebaaadaa from uid 1000 finished with success after 69ms
mar 21 13:56:47 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /216767_cccbdeab from uid 1000 finished with success after 54ms

Keep generating logs, all the time.
And use of ram and cpu …
Why? what does he do?

emanu@desktop:~$ journalctl -f
– Logs begin at Sun 2021-03-21 10:37:17 CET. –
mar 21 17:27:57 desktop org.telegram.desktop.desktop[169068]: Corrupt JPEG data: premature end of data segment
mar 21 17:28:05 desktop systemd[1663]: Started Application launched by gnome-shell.
mar 21 17:28:05 desktop systemd[1663]: Starting GNOME Terminal Server…
mar 21 17:28:05 desktop systemd[1663]: Started GNOME Terminal Server.
mar 21 17:28:06 desktop systemd[1663]: Started VTE child process 232210 launched by gnome-terminal-server process 232202.
mar 21 17:28:06 desktop systemd[1663]: app-gnome-byobu-232195.scope: Succeeded.
mar 21 17:28:06 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /221780_acedebae from uid 1000 finished with success after 50ms
mar 21 17:28:07 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /221781_debbbeab from uid 1000 finished with success after 61ms
mar 21 17:28:08 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /221782_aecbdbce from uid 1000 finished with success after 48ms
mar 21 17:28:09 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /221783_deeaabcc from uid 1000 finished with success after 47ms
mar 21 17:28:10 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /221784_aeeeaced from uid 1000 finished with success after 47ms
mar 21 17:28:11 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /221785_cadedaad from uid 1000 finished with success after 64ms
mar 21 17:28:12 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /221786_deedcaab from uid 1000 finished with success after 47ms
mar 21 17:28:13 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /221787_cbceeaae from uid 1000 finished with success after 55ms
mar 21 17:28:14 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /221788_cdeadcee from uid 1000 finished with success after 67ms
mar 21 17:28:15 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /221789_ddedbccd from uid 1000 finished with success after 46ms
mar 21 17:28:16 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /221790_badbbbad from uid 1000 finished with success after 47ms
mar 21 17:28:17 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /221791_dccbbcee from uid 1000 finished with success after 67ms
mar 21 17:28:18 desktop PackageKit[24290]: get-updates transaction /221792_bbaebdca from uid 1000 finished with success after 68ms

If it helps, I paste the result of the command: pkcon -v

17:54:28 PackageKit Verbose debugging enabled (on console 0)
17:54:28 PackageKit refreshing task list
Transactions:
[none]
17:54:28 PackageKit notify::connected
daemon connected=1
17:54:28 PackageKit refreshing task list
network status=online
Daemon state: 'State:
0 get-updates /222138_bdabaaca state[finished] exclusive[1] background[0]
1 get-updates /222139_ebbbbade state[finished] exclusive[1] background[0]
2 get-updates /222140_eadadced state[finished] exclusive[1] background[0]
3 get-updates /222141_bbadccbe state[finished] exclusive[1] background[0]
4 get-updates /222142_cbdbccbd state[finished] exclusive[1] background[0]

17:54:28 PackageKit emit transaction-list-changed
17:54:28 PackageKit current: /222143_dbecbcec
17:54:28 PackageKit emit added: /222143_dbecbcec
Transactions:
1 /222143_dbecbcec
Daemon state: 'State:
0 get-updates /222139_ebbbbade state[finished] exclusive[1] background[0]
1 get-updates /222140_eadadced state[finished] exclusive[1] background[0]
2 get-updates /222141_bbadccbe state[finished] exclusive[1] background[0]
3 get-updates /222142_cbdbccbd state[finished] exclusive[1] background[0]
4 get-updates /222143_dbecbcec state[running] exclusive[1] background[0]

/222143_dbecbcec allow_cancel 1
/222143_dbecbcec percentage -1
17:54:28 PackageKit role now get-updates
/222143_dbecbcec role get-updates
/222143_dbecbcec status setup
/222143_dbecbcec percentage 39
/222143_dbecbcec percentage 89
/222143_dbecbcec percentage 90
/222143_dbecbcec percentage 91
/222143_dbecbcec percentage 100
/222143_dbecbcec status finished
/222143_dbecbcec exit code: success
17:54:28 PackageKit emit transaction-list-changed
17:54:28 PackageKit last: /222143_dbecbcec
17:54:28 PackageKit emit removed: /222143_dbecbcec

It’s only part of it, because he never stops writing

https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/authentication-is-required-to-update-software-via-xrdp/74164/2?u=vgaetera

Thank you for answering. It’s all off.

To this day, it still continues :frowning:

emanu@desktop:~$ journalctl -f
– Logs begin at Mon 2021-03-22 14:37:18 CET. –
mar 22 14:49:28 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /115_edacbdcd from uid 1000 finished with success after 61ms
mar 22 14:49:29 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /116_bdcecacc from uid 1000 finished with success after 48ms
mar 22 14:49:30 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /117_accaacae from uid 1000 finished with success after 63ms
mar 22 14:49:31 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /118_cdcecdca from uid 1000 finished with success after 46ms
mar 22 14:49:32 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /119_dcdcdead from uid 1000 finished with success after 52ms
mar 22 14:49:33 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /120_daedcdae from uid 1000 finished with success after 59ms
mar 22 14:49:34 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /121_babecdae from uid 1000 finished with success after 50ms
mar 22 14:49:35 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /122_cbaeddee from uid 1000 finished with success after 48ms
mar 22 14:49:36 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /123_eeeaebed from uid 1000 finished with success after 50ms
mar 22 14:49:37 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /124_aebbaacc from uid 1000 finished with success after 48ms
mar 22 14:49:38 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /125_ccccaecb from uid 1000 finished with success after 63ms
mar 22 14:49:39 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /126_cdcddbbc from uid 1000 finished with success after 58ms
mar 22 14:49:40 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /127_eceeabec from uid 1000 finished with success after 46ms
mar 22 14:49:41 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /128_bcbbcadd from uid 1000 finished with success after 49ms
mar 22 14:49:42 desktop PackageKit[15544]: get-updates transaction /129_ecdbbeed from uid 1000 finished with success after 46ms

You can try to disable/mask the related services:
https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/fedora-31-disable-autoupdate/77219/2?u=vgaetera

Also, install already downloaded and pending updates and reboot.

@vgaetera but the solution is to disable the service?
I mean. On my side, autoupdates are enabled, packagekitd is running, but I don’t see this flood in the logs and high CPU or RAM usage. So, your suggestion is like: “hey, I have this xyz issue with GNOME”, “well, install KDE” :sweat_smile: :sweat_smile:

1 Like

It can still help isolate the problem even if it’s not the final solution.
Unfortunately I have neither PackageKit nor GNOME Software to reproduce it.
This appears to be a known issue that has already been resolved upstream:
1479665 – PackageKit is constantly logging messages like "get-updates transaction /562580_eaaeacab from uid 1000 finished with success after 33m"

2 Likes

The problem was byobu, thanks to Alessio the cause was identified:
https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/packagekitd-keeps-writing-to-logs-uses-disk-ram-and-cpu/73243/29?u=emanuc