After 1 week of usage, my gnome-terminals have written a total of 48 MB. Out of this, about 40 MB was cating my favorite test file 4 times for speed measurement purposes, and the remaining about 8 MB was the normal tasks I performed, including management of several remote servers via ssh, compilation of several applications over and over again, and a complete dist-upgrade to Vivid alpha (not in screen as it's done by default, but actually writing to the terminal's scrollback) and dist- upgrading again a few times.
Assuming 75 TB lifetime as mentioned in comment 3 (which is about 1/10 of the actual lifetime measured in this stress-test: http://techreport.com/review/27909/the-ssd-endurance-experiment-theyre- all-dead), I would have to keep this usage pattern for 30 years and then it'd cause 0.1% of the SSD wear-out. Of course your usage patterns might differ significantly and result in magnitudes higher numbers; let me know if that's the case. Note: resizing with rewrapping is an issue, if you do it with a large scrollback then it produces a lot of output, it writes quicker than upon normal operation. This might be a concern; a workaround could be to disable rewrapping on resize, using a relatively small scrollback buffer, or disabling opaque resize in the WM. (The data is in the ballpark of 5–10 bytes per line on each resize, i.e. probably less than 1 MB if you have 100.000 lines. The real problem is that most WMs send many resize events during a manual resize.) In the mean time, I've done a proof of concept in the upstream bug to store the scrollback in memory, and I'm planning to make it a mainstream feature. -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Desktop Packages, which is subscribed to vte in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1430620 Title: gnome-terminal writes excessively to /tmp (affecting SSD drives) Status in vte package in Ubuntu: New Bug description: 1) In a gnome-terminal run "sudo fatrace -f W -t" (filter for writes plus timestamps). 2) In another window cat a file to the screen. 3) Observe the activity. I see large churn on the /tmp partitition: 20:41:24.158837 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.158837 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.159268 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.159268 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.159674 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.159674 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.160171 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.160171 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.160603 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.160603 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.160919 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.160919 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.161093 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.161093 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.161545 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.161545 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.161999 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.161999 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.162447 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.162447 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.162825 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.162825 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.162899 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.162899 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.163366 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.163366 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.163817 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.163817 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.164331 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.164331 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.164729 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.164729 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.164729 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.164729 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.165219 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.165219 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.165674 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.165674 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.166128 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.166128 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.166587 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.166587 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.166660 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.166660 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.167056 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.167056 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.167529 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.167529 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.167949 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.167949 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.168451 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.168451 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.168524 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.168524 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.168889 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.168889 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.169364 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.169364 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.169808 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.169808 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.170281 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.170281 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.170354 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.170354 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.170744 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.170744 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.171222 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.171222 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.171699 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.171699 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.172114 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.172114 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.172298 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.172298 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.172617 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.172617 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.173055 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.173055 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.173528 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.173528 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.173997 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.173997 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.174286 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.174286 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.174470 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.174470 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.174908 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.174908 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.175387 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.175387 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.175808 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.175808 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.176240 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.176240 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.176240 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.176240 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.176752 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.176752 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.177217 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.177217 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.177659 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.177659 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.178119 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.178119 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.178119 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.178119 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132835 (deleted) 20:41:24.178584 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.178584 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.179053 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.179053 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132828 (deleted) 20:41:24.184620 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted) 20:41:24.184620 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted) 20:41:24.196022 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132753 (deleted) 20:41:24.196022 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132753 (deleted) 20:41:24.196022 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted) 20:41:24.196022 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted) 20:41:24.196503 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted) 20:41:24.196503 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted) Related, but not the same: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vte/+bug/865082?comments=all The excessive churn eventually gets flushed to disk, affecting the lifetime of SSD drives. Normal gnome terminal operation (no cat) results in endless streams of: 20:44:25.107540 gnome-terminal(23352): RW /tmp/#132355 (deleted) 20:44:25.138015 gnome-terminal(23352): RW /tmp/#132753 (deleted) 20:44:25.138015 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132753 (deleted) 20:44:25.138108 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted) 20:44:25.138108 gnome-terminal(23352): RW /tmp/#132355 (deleted) 20:44:25.168764 gnome-terminal(23352): RW /tmp/#132355 (deleted) 20:44:25.168764 gnome-terminal(23352): RW /tmp/#132753 (deleted) 20:44:25.168764 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132753 (deleted) 20:44:25.168764 gnome-terminal(23352): W /tmp/#132355 (deleted) 132753 is NOT the process number of the gnome-terminal. To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/vte/+bug/1430620/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~desktop-packages Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~desktop-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
