Where is the new Mint 21 Process Monitor?

[jcoles]

"A little process monitor was added to Linux Mint to detect automated updates and automated system snapshots running in the background."

So says the Linux Mint 21 New Features doc. But I've been running the beta for nearly two weeks and have never seen this process monitor. Do I have to enable it somehow, or add it to the panel, or configure something?

[rattkjelke]

I may be wrong but I think it is only supposed to appear when something is slowing down your system.

[SMG]

"A little process monitor was added to Linux Mint to detect automated updates and automated system snapshots running in the background."

So says the Linux Mint 21 New Features doc. But I've been running the beta for nearly two weeks and have never seen this process monitor.

Do you have Update Manager configured to update your system automatically or have Timeshift automatically running snapshots in the background? If neither of those apply to you, then you would not see the monitor. The monitor will only show when those events are happening.

[jcoles]

I know of one definite incident that should have triggered that process monitor. The first timeshift auto backup started unexpectedly, slowing the system to a crawl. I discovered what was going on using top. I saw no monitor thing like the illustration in the What's New doc.

Looking at that illustration again, I'm now not sure whether the message itself will appear or just the little gear icon, requiring a mouse-over to view the message. I'll set timeshift to run hourly and see whether anything happens.

[SMG]

I know of one definite incident that should have triggered that process monitor. The first timeshift auto backup started unexpectedly, slowing the system to a crawl. I discovered what was going on using top. I saw no monitor thing like the illustration in the What's New doc.

It's my understanding that is when the icon should show.

Is it listed in the Start-up apps as enabled? (I do not have an LM21 install to check.)

[jcoles]

Is it listed in the Start-up apps as enabled? (I do not have an LM21 install to check.)

I don't see anything that looks like it in the Startup Applications list. Evidently, it is not enabled as my scheduled Timeshift backup is now underway with no new icon in the panel.

I need more information: executable name/location, the name of the package that installs the file, the location of configuration files, etc. Right now, this new feature is a vague notion.

[rickNS]

Is it listed in the Start-up apps as enabled? (I do not have an LM21 install to check.)

I don't see anything that looks like it in the Startup Applications list. Evidently, it is not enabled as my scheduled Timeshift backup is now underway with no new icon in the panel.

I need more information: executable name/location, the name of the package that installs the file, the location of configuration files, etc. Right now, this new feature is a vague notion.

I think this is it xapp-sn-watcher the last item in startup applications.

[Cosmo.]

To get an idea, how it looks, do this:

Set in Timeshift to do hourly snapshots. Now look up when the next full hour takes place, You should at least for a few seconds (this depends, how much has changed in the system since the last snapshot) see the respective icon in the tray area of the panel.
Note, that you normally see only the 2 little gears, the text appears only, if you hover the icon in that seconds.

Automatic updates happen unpredictable, so it would be a great incidence, if you would look at the panel just in that moment. But TS snapshots except snapshots after booting happen always and exclusively at the full hour.

[SMG]

I need more information: executable name/location, the name of the package that installs the file, the location of configuration files, etc. Right now, this new feature is a vague notion.

You're free to search the Linux Mint GitHub repositories to see if you can find it. I do not have any inside information and my guesses came up empty when I looked.

You might also want to consider commenting on the LinuxMint blog for the release announcement asking a question about it.

I think this is it xapp-sn-watcher the last item in startup applications.

I have that on my LM20.3 install, so if it is a new applet added then that would not be it. However, it is possible the new icon/applet might be tied into that.

[rickNS]

I think this is it xapp-sn-watcher the last item in startup applications.

I have that on my LM20.3 install, so if it is a new applet added then that would not be it. However, it is possible the new icon/applet might be tied into that.

I did prefix with "I think".
I agree with you, and did not notice it on my Mint 20. It was BTW included all the way back to Mint 20.0.

Just going by the name of the app, it seemed logical to me that this was "it", app watcher ?

[AE2100A]

I came to this post precisely because I am looking for a better understanding of the "process monitor" which is touted as a Linux Mint 21 feature. Since upgrading, I have had a few occassions where I felt the system was slowing and I was looking to see the litte gears icon used for the "process monitor". I don't see anythng, don't see a way to confirm that it is enabled and functioning. Seems like a "feature" as significant as this would have a little more detail available as to its workings and its control. If anyone has insight, please, i am bumping this topic again in hopes someone will give a fuller understanding of this feature.

[antikythera]

The process monitor is part of the System Reports application that automatically loads with Linux Mint unless you disabled it in Startup Applications. It renders a new tray icon that only appears if an automatic update or timeshift snapshot is running. It's a picture of cogs.

I know this because I was trying to get rid of it before they fixed an annoying bug with it and found it stopped loading if System Reports was disabled in startup applications. Now it works again I have re-enabled it. The fixed bug meant it was rendering the icon for 10 minutes despite no actual activity.