Ubuntu
indicator-datetime package

indicator-datetime-service is opening /etc/localtime every 5 seconds even on a totally "idle" system

Bug #1238043 reported by Colin Ian King
8
This bug affects 1 person
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
Indicator Date and Time
Fix Released
Medium
Charles Kerr
indicator-datetime (Ubuntu)
Fix Released
Medium
Charles Kerr
Saucy
Fix Released
Medium
Charles Kerr

Bug Description

In an attempt to reduce unnecessary frequent periodic file access to save power, I noticed that indicator-datetime-service is opening and closing /etc/localtime every 5 seconds on my desktop and not apparently reading this file. On the ubuntu phone it is doing the same thing with /etc/writable/localtime.

This seems a little excessive, especially because the TZ data doesn't change quite that frequently. It would be useful if this excessive polling on the file could be reduced if possible.

[Impact]
 * Battery drain, wasting energy by a lot of unnecessary polling

[Test Case]
 * Observe how often /etc/localtime or /etc/writable/localtime gets opened for reading

[Regression Potential]
 * Possibility to not get the local time reliably

See original description

Related branches

lp:~charlesk/indicator-datetime/lp-1238043
PS Jenkins bot (community): Approve (continuous-integration)
Ted Gould (community): Approve
Diff: 70 lines (+29/-2)
1 file modified
src/service.c (+29/-2)
Colin Ian King (colin-king)
tags: added: mobile-power-consumption
Revision history for this message
Charles Kerr (charlesk) wrote :

Looks like this is the culprit:

#0 close () at ../sysdeps/unix/syscall-template.S:81
#1 0xb7bd3545 in g_mapped_file_new (filename=filename@entry=0x809dca0 "/etc/localtime",
    writable=writable@entry=0, error=error@entry=0x0)
    at /build/buildd/glib2.0-2.38.0/./glib/gmappedfile.c:271
#2 0xb7bfa972 in zone_info_unix (identifier=<optimised out>)
    at /build/buildd/glib2.0-2.38.0/./glib/gtimezone.c:432
#3 g_time_zone_new (identifier=0x0) at /build/buildd/glib2.0-2.38.0/./glib/gtimezone.c:1411
#4 0xb7bfb595 in g_time_zone_new_local () at /build/buildd/glib2.0-2.38.0/./glib/gtimezone.c:1508
#5 0xb7bb9de6 in g_date_time_new_now_local () at /build/buildd/glib2.0-2.38.0/./glib/gdatetime.c:731

Charles Kerr (charlesk)
Changed in indicator-datetime (Ubuntu):
assignee: nobody → Charles Kerr (charlesk)
importance: Undecided → Medium
status: New → In Progress
Thomas Strehl (strehl-t)
description: updated
Charles Kerr (charlesk)
Changed in indicator-datetime:
status: New → Fix Committed
assignee: nobody → Charles Kerr (charlesk)
importance: Undecided → Medium
Revision history for this message
Charles Kerr (charlesk) wrote :

Released in 13.10.0+13.10.20131016-0ubuntu1

Changed in indicator-datetime:
status: Fix Committed → Fix Released
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

This bug was fixed in the package indicator-datetime - 13.10.0+13.10.20131016.2-0ubuntu1

---------------
indicator-datetime (13.10.0+13.10.20131016.2-0ubuntu1) saucy; urgency=low

  [ Charles Kerr ]
  * Remove the g_error() call that caused an abort() in the call to
    on_name_lost() in our bus handler. (LP: #1238737)

  [ Didier Roche ]
  * remove invalid click recommends and downgrade to Suggests

  [ Ubuntu daily release ]
  * Automatic snapshot from revision 274

indicator-datetime (13.10.0+13.10.20131016-0ubuntu1) saucy; urgency=low

  [ Charles Kerr ]
  * Use the Unity Mobile icon name for the alarm clock icon.
  * cache our internal GTimeZone instead of constantly re-creating it.
    (LP: #1238043)
  * Changes the phone profile's "Clock" menuitem in two ways: 1. instead
    of using a stock icon, try to use the clock app's icon. 2. when
    clicked, launch the clock app. (LP: #1227106)

  [ Ubuntu daily release ]
  * Automatic snapshot from revision 271
 -- Ubuntu daily release <email address hidden> Wed, 16 Oct 2013 15:30:10 +0000

Changed in indicator-datetime (Ubuntu Saucy):
status: In Progress → Fix Released
Revision history for this message
Colin Ian King (colin-king) wrote :

Thanks, this is noticeably much improved!

To post a comment you must log in.
This report contains Public information  
Everyone can see this information.
Subscribing...

Other bug subscribers

Remote bug watches

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