lightdm writing the same DEBUG message to /var/log/lightdm/lightdm.log

Bug #1376357 reported by Colin Ian King
6
This bug affects 1 person
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
Light Display Manager
Fix Released
Low
Unassigned
1.10
Won't Fix
Low
Unassigned
1.12
Fix Released
Low
Unassigned
lightdm (Ubuntu)
Fix Released
Low
Unassigned

Bug Description

I was trying to figure out where excessive file system writes were
coming from on the ubuntu phone (to try to reduce flash writes and hence reduce power
consumption) and I spotted that /var/log/lightdm/lightdm.log is getting the same debug message written to every every 300 seconds:

tail -f /var/log/lightdm/lightdm.log
[+5109.66s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User32011 changed
[+5409.67s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User32011 changed
[+5709.66s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User32011 changed
[+6009.66s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User32011 changed
[+6309.64s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User32011 changed
[+6609.65s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User32011 changed
[+6909.67s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User32011 changed
[+7209.66s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User32011 changed
[+7509.66s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User32011 changed
[+7809.57s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User32011 changed
[+8109.65s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User32011 changed

while this isn't much of a message, it still is causing file system writes every 5 minutes for the same debug message. Is this necessary? The fact that it is the same message about the same account and that it occurs every 300 seconds make me wonder if we can cull this particular piece of repeated logging.

Revision history for this message
Robert Ancell (robert-ancell) wrote :

I'd like to find out what is changing on this user every 300s - this doesn't occur on desktop and there's nothing that I can see that should be frequently changed for a user. The debugging is useful, but can be removed if there is a legitimate reason for a user to change this frequently.

Changed in lightdm (Ubuntu):
importance: Undecided → Medium
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Robert Ancell (robert-ancell) wrote :

I think this might be the XHasMessages property that is being set, since the patch for that doesn't stop Changed from being emitted if the value has not changed. The other properties seem to correctly check if they are changed.

Revision history for this message
Robert Ancell (robert-ancell) wrote :

Hmm, not finding anything that sets this. Other candidates are XKeyboardLayouts, BackgroundFile and IconFile which also may emit Changed even if they are not.

I checked the properties of this user on a phone and confirm they are unchanged before and after this signal occurs.

Revision history for this message
Robert Ancell (robert-ancell) wrote :

Ah, it turns out there are a lot of extensions in /usr/share/accountsservice/interfaces/ that might be setting things. Thus there is no limit on how much information might be updated.

Changed in lightdm:
importance: Undecided → Medium
status: New → Triaged
importance: Medium → Low
Changed in lightdm (Ubuntu):
importance: Medium → Low
status: Incomplete → Triaged
Changed in lightdm:
status: Triaged → Fix Committed
milestone: none → 1.13.0
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

This bug was fixed in the package lightdm - 1.12.1-0ubuntu1

---------------
lightdm (1.12.1-0ubuntu1) utopic; urgency=medium

  * New upstream release:
    - Fix crash when having configuration keys defined in multiple places
      (LP: #1377373)
    - Allow user switching in multi-seat until bug stopping greeter showing on
      logout is fixed
    - Disable log message when AccountsService users change (LP: #1376357)
 -- Robert Ancell <email address hidden> Thu, 09 Oct 2014 08:59:27 +1300

Changed in lightdm (Ubuntu):
status: Triaged → Fix Released
Changed in lightdm:
status: Fix Committed → Fix Released
To post a comment you must log in.
This report contains Public information  
Everyone can see this information.

Other bug subscribers

Remote bug watches

Bug watches keep track of this bug in other bug trackers.