Moved install from SDcard to USB drive on raspberry pi 4 and having strage IO issue [solved]

Hey folks, running
Linux raspberrypi4 5.4.83-1-MANJARO-ARM #1 SMP PREEMPT Mon Dec 14 08:37:33 CST 2020 aarch64 GNU/Linux
and the image was lifted from my microsd card to a brand new USB thumb drive ( Kingston 64GB 100 G3 USB 3.0 DataTraveler plugged into the usb3 hole).

The usb drive boots fine, but I notice that when the pi is completely idle, there is still a load on it.
output from ‘w’
14:50:15 up 1:22, 2 users, load average: 0.32, 0.26, 0.47
and
14:50:44 up 1:22, 2 users, load average: 0.29, 0.26, 0.46
etc…
when looking at top and iotop, the load seems to be short bursts like this…
128 ?sys root 0.00 B/s 11.53 K/s 0.00 % 99.99 % [jbd2/sda2-8]
and
1268 ?sys root 0.00 B/s 0.00 B/s 0.00 % 99.99 % [kworker/u8:1-flush-8:0]

any ideas on what could be causing this? It did not seem to be an issue when using my microsd card. I was expecting the usb drive to be ‘zippier’ as well, but that doesnt seem to be the case.

regards,
DB

I don’t seem to be having those issues, but I’m running a USB3 to mSATA adaptor and running the entire OS off that drive. My load averages are like 1.38 1.14 1.05 but I’m running plasma. Plasmashell and kwin_x11 are what take up most CPU cycles it seems.

Do you see anyting weird in your dmesg ?

Not sure if this is “weird or not” but an awful lot of something going on

[Feb 8 17:55] audit: type=1101 audit(1612824901.119:179): pid=921 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 msg='op=PAM:accounting grantors=pam_access,pam_unix,pam_time acct=“root”>
[ +0.000489] audit: type=1103 audit(1612824901.119:180): pid=921 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/>
[ +0.000300] audit: type=1006 audit(1612824901.119:181): pid=921 uid=0 old-auid=4294967295 auid=0 tty=(none) old-ses=4294967295 ses=12 res=1
[ +0.007569] audit: type=1105 audit(1612824901.127:182): pid=921 uid=0 auid=0 ses=12 msg='op=PAM:session_open grantors=pam_loginuid,pam_limits,pam_unix acct=“root” exe="/usr/>
[ +0.000310] audit: type=1110 audit(1612824901.127:183): pid=921 uid=0 auid=0 ses=12 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/crond" hostname=?>
[ +0.029933] audit: type=1104 audit(1612824901.159:184): pid=921 uid=0 auid=0 ses=12 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/crond" hostname=?>
[ +0.000217] audit: type=1106 audit(1612824901.159:185): pid=921 uid=0 auid=0 ses=12 msg='op=PAM:session_close grantors=pam_loginuid,pam_limits,pam_unix acct=“root” exe="/usr>
[Feb 8 18:00] audit: type=1101 audit(1612825201.169:186): pid=940 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 msg='op=PAM:accounting grantors=pam_access,pam_unix,pam_time acct=“root”>
[ +0.000726] audit: type=1103 audit(1612825201.169:187): pid=940 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/>
[ +0.000355] audit: type=1006 audit(1612825201.169:188): pid=940 uid=0 old-auid=4294967295 auid=0 tty=(none) old-ses=4294967295 ses=13 res=1
[ +0.007434] audit: type=1105 audit(1612825201.177:189): pid=940 uid=0 auid=0 ses=13 msg='op=PAM:session_open grantors=pam_loginuid,pam_limits,pam_unix acct=“root” exe="/usr/>
[ +0.000303] audit: type=1110 audit(1612825201.177:190): pid=940 uid=0 auid=0 ses=13 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/crond" hostname=?>
[ +0.046488] audit: type=1104 audit(1612825201.225:191): pid=940 uid=0 auid=0 ses=13 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/crond" hostname=?>
[ +0.000207] audit: type=1106 audit(1612825201.225:192): pid=940 uid=0 auid=0 ses=13 msg='op=PAM:session_close grantors=pam_loginuid,pam_limits,pam_unix acct=“root” exe="/usr>
[Feb 8 18:05] audit: type=1101 audit(1612825501.280:193): pid=964 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 msg='op=PAM:accounting grantors=pam_access,pam_unix,pam_time acct=“root”>
[ +0.000388] audit: type=1103 audit(1612825501.280:194): pid=964 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/>
[ +0.000292] audit: type=1006 audit(1612825501.280:195): pid=964 uid=0 old-auid=4294967295 auid=0 tty=(none) old-ses=4294967295 ses=14 res=1
[ +0.011636] audit: type=1105 audit(1612825501.292:196): pid=964 uid=0 auid=0 ses=14 msg='op=PAM:session_open grantors=pam_loginuid,pam_limits,pam_unix acct=“root” exe="/usr/>
[ +0.000342] audit: type=1110 audit(1612825501.292:197): pid=964 uid=0 auid=0 ses=14 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/crond" hostname=?>
[ +0.030889] audit: type=1104 audit(1612825501.324:198): pid=964 uid=0 auid=0 ses=14 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/crond" hostname=?>
[ +0.000178] audit: type=1106 audit(1612825501.324:199): pid=964 uid=0 auid=0 ses=14 msg='op=PAM:session_close grantors=pam_loginuid,pam_limits,pam_unix acct=“root” exe="/usr>
[Feb 8 18:10] audit: type=1101 audit(1612825801.336:200): pid=983 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 msg='op=PAM:accounting grantors=pam_access,pam_unix,pam_time acct=“root”>
[ +0.000486] audit: type=1103 audit(1612825801.336:201): pid=983 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/>
[ +0.000364] audit: type=1006 audit(1612825801.336:202): pid=983 uid=0 old-auid=4294967295 auid=0 tty=(none) old-ses=4294967295 ses=15 res=1
[ +0.013675] audit: type=1105 audit(1612825801.352:203): pid=983 uid=0 auid=0 ses=15 msg='op=PAM:session_open grantors=pam_loginuid,pam_limits,pam_unix acct=“root” exe="/usr/>
[ +0.000341] audit: type=1110 audit(1612825801.352:204): pid=983 uid=0 auid=0 ses=15 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/crond" hostname=?>
[ +0.031513] audit: type=1104 audit(1612825801.384:205): pid=983 uid=0 auid=0 ses=15 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/crond" hostname=?>
[ +0.000234] audit: type=1106 audit(1612825801.384:206): pid=983 uid=0 auid=0 ses=15 msg='op=PAM:session_close grantors=pam_loginuid,pam_limits,pam_unix acct=“root” exe="/usr>
[Feb 8 18:15] audit: type=1101 audit(1612826101.392:207): pid=1004 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 msg='op=PAM:accounting grantors=pam_access,pam_unix,pam_time acct=“root>
[ +0.008810] audit: type=1103 audit(1612826101.392:208): pid=1004 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe=”/usr/bin>
[ +0.007197] audit: type=1006 audit(1612826101.392:209): pid=1004 uid=0 old-auid=4294967295 auid=0 tty=(none) old-ses=4294967295 ses=16 res=1
[ +0.007175] audit: type=1105 audit(1612826101.400:210): pid=1004 uid=0 auid=0 ses=16 msg='op=PAM:session_open grantors=pam_loginuid,pam_limits,pam_unix acct=“root” exe="/usr>
[ +0.007207] audit: type=1110 audit(1612826101.400:211): pid=1004 uid=0 auid=0 ses=16 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/crond" hostname=>
[ +0.009262] audit: type=1104 audit(1612826101.432:212): pid=1004 uid=0 auid=0 ses=16 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/crond" hostname=>
[ +0.006948] audit: type=1106 audit(1612826101.432:213): pid=1004 uid=0 auid=0 ses=16 msg='op=PAM:session_close grantors=pam_loginuid,pam_limits,pam_unix acct=“root” exe="/us>
[Feb 8 18:20] audit: type=1101 audit(1612826401.445:214): pid=1024 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 msg='op=PAM:accounting grantors=pam_access,pam_unix,pam_time acct=“root>
[ +0.009155] audit: type=1103 audit(1612826401.445:215): pid=1024 uid=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe=”/usr/bin>
[ +0.007028] audit: type=1006 audit(1612826401.445:216): pid=1024 uid=0 old-auid=4294967295 auid=0 tty=(none) old-ses=4294967295 ses=17 res=1
[ +0.007046] audit: type=1105 audit(1612826401.453:217): pid=1024 uid=0 auid=0 ses=17 msg='op=PAM:session_open grantors=pam_loginuid,pam_limits,pam_unix acct=“root” exe="/usr>
[ +0.007120] audit: type=1110 audit(1612826401.453:218): pid=1024 uid=0 auid=0 ses=17 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/crond" hostname=>
[ +0.009509] audit: type=1104 audit(1612826401.485:219): pid=1024 uid=0 auid=0 ses=17 msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_unix,pam_env acct=“root” exe="/usr/bin/crond" hostname=>
[ +0.006796] audit: type=1106 audit(1612826401.485:220): pid=1024 uid=0 auid=0 ses=17 msg='op=PAM:session_close grantors=pam_loginuid,pam_limits,pam_unix acct=“root” exe="/us>

If you do not care for audit, add audit=0 to your /boot/cmdline.txt file, puts an end to all of that noise.

ooh THANKS for that! I got rid of the crap messages… Now my dmesg is clean…
but I still have a load avg that hovers around .21 while doing nothing. not even running a gui.
21:56:58 up 38 min, 2 users, load average: 0.17, 0.20, 0.24

-db

You will always have some load, the OS produces a load. That is a not an unusual amount for a non-GUI configuration, at least from my experiences. You could check for other things to shutdown, try running pstree to take a look at what is running. From that, maybe you can find processes that you do not care to be running and disable them.

Audit is noisy, but it does tell you what is waking up and running periodically. So it can be helpful if you can sift through all of the messages.

Yes I know there will always be some load, but this exact same setup running of a microsd
will not show this “phantom load”… its probably not hurting anything, but oh well. thanks for looking.

so I took the oldest crappy microsd card I could find (1GB!!!) and put it in the pi, and the problem is solved… :wink:

jason@raspberrypi4 ~ $ w
 19:14:46 up 58 min,  2 users,  load average: 0.00, 0.08, 0.22
USER     TTY        LOGIN@   IDLE   JCPU   PCPU WHAT
jason    pts/0     19:02    1.00s  0.10s  0.01s w
jason    pts/2     18:19   55:09   0.01s  0.01s -bash

I would include a link, but this wonderful message board software wont allow me. :confused:

-db

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