(Vivid) zram-config 0.3 Job for zram-config.service failed

Hi,

I think the bug #1448530 is not related, this is why:

I am using Vivid in French and one zram block device is created:
$ cat /proc/swaps
Filename Type Size Used Priority
/dev/zram0 partition 947216 0 100
/dev/sda5 partition 4607996 0 -1

$

We can say it works, partially.

Hi,

Many days after I have removed zram-config I still have zram loaded and a /dev/zram0 created. This is what I did to remove it right now, and I have not yet rebooted to see the result. If after a reboot I need to do it all over again, I will have to blacklist it.

Please note that this situation is first seen for me, since many years. Also note afaik some scripts done by mystillef for Fedora, which uses systemd since a long time, don't have this issue.

****
$ cat /proc/swaps
Filename Type Size Used Priority
/dev/zram0 partition 947216 0 100
/dev/sda6 partition 4607996 0 -1
$

****
There is a zram0 device loaded (I haven't asked it to load, this is what I found after a fresh boot), with priority 100 (which is not an issue for me, just notice the priority if using zram-config is 5, not 100).

****
$ systemctl list-units | grep zram
sys-devices-virtual-block-zram0.device loaded active plugged /sys/devices/virtual/block/zram0
dev-zram0.swap loaded active active /dev/zram0
****
Information about systemd related loaded units

****
$ sudo swapoff /dev/zram0
[sudo] password for melodie:
$

****
unmounting the swap device

****
$ systemctl list-units | grep zram
sys-devices-virtual-block-zram0.device loaded active plugged /sys/devices/virtual/block/zram0
****
Checking what units are still seen

****
$ sudo systemctl disable sys-devices-virtual-block-zram0.device

****
Disabling the above unit

****
$ systemctl list-units | grep zram
sys-devices-virtual-block-zram0.device loaded active plugged /sys/devices/virtual/block/zram0
****
Checking the result of the disable command. Obviously it produced no result. Maybe a rmmod will do it? See after:

****
$ sudo rmmod zram
$ sudo systemctl disable sys-devices-virtual-block-zram0.device
$ systemctl list-units | grep zram
$
****

Now it worked!

My guess is I can redo it all over again after next boot, as long as zram isn't blacklisted in a blacklist file under /etc/

This is an issue which is very severe because it can affect the stability of a system : for one, zram is still in the staging directory; for two we have seen these last years that depending on the kernel and how it was tweaked (Precise and after), using zram at same time as these kernels could make a session freeze completely.

So, I am aware that I am using an edition not meant for the large audience : I am a tester here and I know it. I would appreciate this issue to be addressed within a few months and if possible, long before the next LTS is out.

The expected behavior:
1) I install zram-config, it works a treat;

2) I remove zram-config from the installed packages, no more zram is loaded;

3) additional options would be welcome:
* the ability to setup how large the block devices should be (1/3, or 1/4 of available memory, or any number, as explained in the wiki of the original compcache p...

PS: after reboot zram not being blacklisted it is still loaded. Here information from dmesg, just after the boot:
http://paste.ubuntu.com/11713876/

Module not unloading properly (and so stop service failing) is now fixed (rmmod suppressed the -w option). This doesn't explain why the module is reloaded even once you removed this package though and I fear this has nothing to do with this package but via another config.

Maybe the best would be to open a separate bug?
I'm backporting this fix to vivid.

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

This bug was fixed in the package zram-config - 0.5

---------------
zram-config (0.5) wily; urgency=medium

  * rmmod doesn't support -w anymore, ensure that the module is removed and
    that the service stops properly (LP: #1449678)

 -- Didier Roche <email address hidden> Mon, 15 Jun 2015 09:59:40 +0200

Hello Mélodie, or anyone else affected,

Accepted zram-config into vivid-proposed. The package will build now and be available at https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/zram-config/0.3.1 in a few hours, and then in the -proposed repository.

Please help us by testing this new package. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Your feedback will aid us getting this update out to other Ubuntu users.

If this package fixes the bug for you, please add a comment to this bug, mentioning the version of the package you tested, and change the tag from verification-needed to verification-done. If it does not fix the bug for you, please add a comment stating that, and change the tag to verification-failed. In either case, details of your testing will help us make a better decision.

Further information regarding the verification process can be found at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/PerformingSRUVerification . Thank you in advance!

Hello,
I am installing it now along with updates, in which there is also a new kernel:

***
Commit Log for Tue Jun 16 01:49:38 2015

Les paquets suivants ont été mis à jour :
apt (1.0.9.7ubuntu4) to 1.0.9.7ubuntu4.1
apt-utils (1.0.9.7ubuntu4) to 1.0.9.7ubuntu4.1
libapt-inst1.5 (1.0.9.7ubuntu4) to 1.0.9.7ubuntu4.1
libapt-pkg4.12 (1.0.9.7ubuntu4) to 1.0.9.7ubuntu4.1
linux-headers-generic (3.19.0.20.19) to 3.19.0.21.20
linux-image-generic (3.19.0.20.19) to 3.19.0.21.20
linux-libc-dev (3.19.0-20.20) to 3.19.0-21.21

Les paquets suivants ont été installés :
linux-headers-3.19.0-21 (3.19.0-21.21)
linux-headers-3.19.0-21-generic (3.19.0-21.21)
linux-image-3.19.0-21-generic (3.19.0-21.21)
linux-image-extra-3.19.0-21-generic (3.19.0-21.21)
zram-config (0.3.1)
(END)

***

I won't be able to report back anything before at least next evening or the following, by lack of availability. I'll check it all about the changes as soon as possible.

Hi,

After a boot this evening when back home:

$ cat /proc/swaps
Filename Type Size Used Priority
/dev/zram0 partition 947216 0 100
/dev/sda6 partition 4607996 0 -1
$

**Only one device is created, and it has a 100 priority! (zram-config usually creates it with priority 5).

$ systemctl list-units | grep zram
  sys-devices-virtual-block-zram0.device loaded active plugged /sys/devices/virtual/block/zram0
● zram-config.service loaded failed failed Initializes zram swaping
  dev-zram0.swap loaded active active /dev/zram0
$ apt-cache policy zram-config
zram-config:
  Installé : 0.3.1
  Candidat : 0.3.1
 Table de version :
 *** 0.3.1 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ vivid-proposed/universe amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     0.3 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ vivid/universe amd64 Packages
[melodie@bento64:~]$

=-=-=-=-=

then:

$ LANG=C systemctl status zram-config.service -l
* zram-config.service - Initializes zram swaping
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/zram-config.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
   Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Tue 2015-06-16 20:50:26 CEST; 1h 59min ago
  Process: 701 ExecStart=/usr/bin/init-zram-swapping (code=exited, status=255)
 Main PID: 701 (code=exited, status=255)

Jun 16 20:50:22 bento64 init-zram-swapping[701]: sh: echo: I/O error
Jun 16 20:50:22 bento64 init-zram-swapping[701]: mkswap: error: /dev/zram0 is mounted; will not make swapspace
Jun 16 20:50:22 bento64 init-zram-swapping[701]: swapon: /dev/zram0 : échec de swapon: Périphérique ou ressource occupé
Jun 16 20:50:22 bento64 init-zram-swapping[701]: /usr/bin/init-zram-swapping: 21: /usr/bin/init-zram-swapping: cannot create /sys/block/zram1/disksize: Directory nonexistent
Jun 16 20:50:22 bento64 init-zram-swapping[701]: /dev/zram1: Aucun fichier ou dossier de ce type
Jun 16 20:50:22 bento64 init-zram-swapping[701]: swapon: stat failed /dev/zram1: Aucun fichier ou dossier de ce type
Jun 16 20:50:26 bento64 systemd[1]: zram-config.service: main process exited, code=exited, status=255/n/a
Jun 16 20:50:26 bento64 systemd[1]: Failed to start Initializes zram swaping.
Jun 16 20:50:26 bento64 systemd[1]: Unit zram-config.service entered failed state.
Jun 16 20:50:26 bento64 systemd[1]: zram-config.service failed.
$

What else? Yes more information here:

$ uname -a
Linux bento64 3.19.0-21-generic #21-Ubuntu SMP Sun Jun 14 18:31:11 UTC 2015 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
$

and also here about zram module:
$ cd /lib/modules
$ find . -name "zram*"
./3.19.0-18-generic/kernel/drivers/block/zram
./3.19.0-18-generic/kernel/drivers/block/zram/zram.ko
./3.19.0-20-generic/kernel/drivers/block/zram
./3.19.0-20-generic/kernel/drivers/block/zram/zram.ko
./3.19.0-21-generic/kernel/drivers/block/zram
./3.19.0-21-generic/kernel/drivers/block/zram/zram.ko
$

I wasn't aware it wasn't in the staging director...

It is still not working. Please see comment #10

Hi,

I have found a way to make it work right.

While zram was loaded, with one block device created only instead of two as I have a dual-core, and with a priority 100 instead of 5 as the zram-config brings I did this:

$ sudo swapoff /dev/zram0
$ sudo rmmod zram

then edited /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf and added this:

blacklist zram

since the other day, I had no more zram loaded nor zram virtual device loaded. Just now I thought of a test while zram is not loaded at boot time:

$ sudo apt-get install zram-config
.......
.......
Réception de : 1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ vivid-proposed/universe zram-config all 0.3.1 [4 266 B]
........
.......
$

$ sudo systemctl enable zram-config
$ sudo systemctl start zram-config
$

While I'm here: Could the zram-config script come with some outputs there? Confirmation "we have created a symlink blabla... " and after, "we have started zram-config successfully" ? That would be nice. :)

Result:
$ cat /proc/swaps
Filename Type Size Used Priority
/dev/sda6 partition 4607996 0 -1
/dev/zram0 partition 947216 0 5
/dev/zram1 partition 947216 0 5
$

Now it works as it's supposed to!

Some more tests to be sure, with the systemctl commands "status", "restart", "start", and "stop":

***************
[melodie@bento64:~]$ sudo systemctl status -l zram-config.service
● zram-config.service - Initializes zram swaping
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/zram-config.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
   Active: active (exited) since dim. 2015-06-21 18:33:11 CEST; 9min ago
  Process: 4906 ExecStart=/usr/bin/init-zram-swapping (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
 Main PID: 4906 (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)

juin 21 18:33:11 bento64 systemd[1]: Starting Initializes zram swaping...
juin 21 18:33:11 bento64 init-zram-swapping[4906]: Setting up swapspace version 1, size = 947216 KiB
juin 21 18:33:11 bento64 init-zram-swapping[4906]: pas d'étiquette, UUID=6c74759b-83cd-47a1-b911-f5242c125979
juin 21 18:33:11 bento64 init-zram-swapping[4906]: Setting up swapspace version 1, size = 947216 KiB
juin 21 18:33:11 bento64 init-zram-swapping[4906]: pas d'étiquette, UUID=3e6fce71-7773-40e4-9dcb-3dfe509ec23d
juin 21 18:33:11 bento64 systemd[1]: Started Initializes zram swaping.
[melodie@bento64:~]$ sudo systemctl restart zram-config
[melodie@bento64:~]$ sudo systemctl status -l zram-config.service
● zram-config.service - Initializes zram swaping
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/zram-config.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
   Active: active (exited) since dim. 2015-06-21 18:43:44 CEST; 4s ago
  Process: 4985 ExecStop=/usr/bin/end-zram-swapping (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
  Process: 4996 ExecStart=/usr/bin/init-zram-swapping (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
 Main PID: 4996 (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)

juin 21 18:43:44 bento64 systemd[1]: Starting Initializes zram swaping...
juin 21 18:43:44 bento64 init-zram-swapping[4996]: Setting up swapspace version 1, size = 947216 KiB
juin 21 18:43:44 bento64 init-zram-swapping[4996]: pas d'étiquette, UUID=13e90b6a-1f85-40d3-b468-a77332c14f97
juin 21 18:43:44 bento64 ...

Hello,

It's been a week using it daily in my machine now, and the script works a treat:
$ cat /proc/swaps
Filename Type Size Used Priority
/dev/sda6 partition 4607996 0 -1
/dev/zram0 partition 947216 0 5
/dev/zram1 partition 947216 0 5
$

As sayd in the previous comment, I had to blacklist zram to prevent it from being default loaded during boot time. I added this to my blacklist.conf file:
***************
# cat /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
# This file lists those modules which we don't want to be loaded by
# alias expansion, usually so some other driver will be loaded for the
# device instead.

# zram should not be loaded during boot time
blacklist zram
***************

Now how do we push this information to the Ubuntu kernel dev team?

Best regards,
Mélodie

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. From a terminal window please run:

apport-collect 1449678

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

It turns out that melodie's issue was having COMPCACHE_SIZE set in initramfs.conf, which causes initramfs-tools to create a zram swap in early userspace, thus rendering zram-config ineffective. This is arguably a bug in initramfs-tools, but it's not a regression in this zram-config SRU.

For the record, anyone else afflicted similarly should do the following:

1) Edit /etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.conf to reset COMPCACHE_SIZE="" (ie: set it blank)
2) sudo update-initramfs -u
3) reboot

Adam, thank you very much for the time you took to solve it and help me with my issue. I confirm this was it. Before calling it a night I wanted to check and reboot -of course I had removed zram from the blacklist.conf file, had edited initramfs.conf as you instructed, and updated the initrd.

Now the zram-conf script work normally.

*****
$ cat /proc/swaps
Filename Type Size Used Priority
/dev/sda6 partition 4607996 0 -1
/dev/zram0 partition 947216 0 5
/dev/zram1 partition 947216 0 5
*****

Just for information, I will add that my sytem is using French locales, so non English locales. And from what I can read at #1448530 the latest version of the zram-config package has also solved it for them.

Good, I guess we can call it a day! :)

This bug was fixed in the package zram-config - 0.3.1

---------------
zram-config (0.3.1) vivid; urgency=medium

  * Backport 2 fixes from wily:
    - Call "free" command under C locale to avoid it failing under non-English
    locales. Thanks GamePad64 for the initial patch! (LP: #1448530)
    - rmmod doesn't support -w anymore, ensure that the module is removed and
    that the service stops properly (LP: #1449678)

 -- Didier Roche <email address hidden> Mon, 15 Jun 2015 10:13:05 +0200

The verification of the Stable Release Update for zram-config has completed successfully and the package has now been released to -updates. Subsequently, the Ubuntu Stable Release Updates Team is being unsubscribed and will not receive messages about this bug report. In the event that you encounter a regression using the package from -updates please report a new bug using ubuntu-bug and tag the bug report regression-update so we can easily find any regressions.