[SOLVED] Why does Mint use 100% of CPU when idle?

[Doctor Funkenstein]

Hello all,

If I leave my computer on, it eventually performs an emergency shutdown due to all 4 cores running at 100% for an extended period of time (overheats).

Only things going are Mint (Cinnamon desktop) and Chrome with 5-6 tabs. What gives?

I have a couple of screenshots of my system monitor if anyone wants to look. I try to check what processes are running when this happens, but once I move the mouse it goes back down to a regular level of CPU usage

[Mattyboy]

Open terminal and provide the results of

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxz

run the

Code: Select all

top

command for more details of what processes are running.

[Doctor Funkenstein]

Code: Select all

math@Larry ~ $ inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: Larry Kernel: 4.13.0-38-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.6.7 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
           Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
Machine:   System: Dell (portable) product: Inspiron N5010 v: A07
           Mobo: Dell model: 0WXY9J v: A07 Bios: Dell v: A07 date: 07/26/2010
CPU:       Dual core Intel Core i3 M 370 (-HT-MCP-) cache: 3072 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 9577
           clock speeds: max: 2394 MHz 1: 1300 MHz 2: 1340 MHz 3: 1309 MHz
           4: 1181 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller
           bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1360x768@59.80hz, 1360x768@60.37hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Ironlake Mobile
           GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 17.2.8 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card Intel 5 Series/3400 Series High Definition Audio
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.13.0-38-generic
Network:   Card-1: Broadcom BCM4313 802.11bgn Wireless Network Adapter
           driver: bcma-pci-bridge bus-ID: 12:00.0
           IF: wlp18s0b1 state: up mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Realtek RTL8101/2/6E PCI Express Fast/Gigabit Ethernet controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: e000 bus-ID: 13:00.0
           IF: enp19s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 320.1GB (24.6% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD3200BPVT size: 320.1GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 291G used: 71G (26%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 3.08GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda5
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 80.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 218 Uptime: 2:35 Memory: 1957.5/5760.4MB
           Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35 
math@Larry ~ $ 

I can't paste the output from the top command because it keeps changing

BOINC is running even though I uninstalled it, which may have answered my own question. How can I remove it? It doesn't show up in System Monitor

[Mattyboy]

In all likelihood your machine is struggling to run the cinnamon desktop, its the version of Mint that requires the most resources. ( Your cpu is having to handle graphics too ).

Do a fresh install of Xfce or MATE.

[Sir Charles]

Of what I have come across in the forums, sometimes some installed applet(s) can misbehave and cause high CPU usage. If you have any of those, try disabling them and see if you get more normal CPU usage.

[Hoser Rob]

I've had Mint Cinnamon on a laptop with Ironlake video, It was 17.something rather than 18 but the same machine has Mint 18.2 KDE now so I'm not so sure that matters. It wasn't fast, and it turns ouot I don't really like Cinnamon that much anyway.

Just as a laugh I booted the Cinnamon live CD in my 1Gb netbook that has the infamous Cedarview graphics, whcih has no 3D hardware video acceleration al all. That ran at 47-48% or so idle, which is pretty poor but not near 100%.

So I do whooeheartedly support doing a clean reinstall of Mate or Xfce. I use Xfce on my laptop but I've used Mate before and I'd actually recommend Mate. It's better sorted and Xfce is not really that fast and light anymore and stilolo buggier. But I don't think Cinnamon per se is necessarily the problem, but I've not tested 18.3.

[FreedomTruth]

I can't paste the output from the top command because it keeps changing

inxi -t c5 will list the (current) top 5 cpu-using processes

one other suggestion, run the top command, then leave your computer idle (make sure to turn off screensaver if it is active) ... when cpu usage starts going up you should be able to easily see what process(es) are doing it, without having to move the mouse.

BOINC is running even though I uninstalled it, which may have answered my own question. How can I remove it? It doesn't show up in System Monitor

I'm unfamiliar with boinc, or how you installed it, but you could try either sudo apt-get remove boinc or open synaptic, search for boinc and mark it for removal, then apply changes.

[Doctor Funkenstein]

Thanks guys. Yeah, you cannot just uninstall BOINC from the menu, you have to do it using the above terminal command.