`Refreshing AUR` stage downloads a 9.3 MiB file and eats about 1.5 GiB of RAM memory

Hi!

unstable branch.

Pamac 10.3.0-2  -  libpamac 11.2.0

command called and it’s output:

pamac update --force-refresh
Preparing...
Synchronizing package databases...
Refreshing core.db...                                                                                                                                                  
Refreshing extra.db...                                                                                                                                                 
Refreshing community.db...                                                                                                                                             
Refreshing multilib.db...                                                                                                                                              
Refreshing chaotic-aur.db...                                                                                                                                           
Refreshing core.files...                                                                                                                                               
Refreshing extra.files...                                                                                                                                              
Refreshing community.files...                                                                                                                                          
Refreshing multilib.files...                                                                                                                                           
Refreshing chaotic-aur.files...                                                                                                                                        
Refreshing AUR...                                                                                                                                                      
Nothing to do.                                                                                                                                                         
Transaction successfully finished.

A few days ago I noted that new Refreshing AUR... stage appeared while calling force refresh.

I have semi-garbage PC
~/Desktop ❯ inxi -Fazy1
System:
  Kernel: 5.16.2-1-MANJARO x86_64
    bits: 64
    compiler: gcc
      v: 11.1.0
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-5.16-x86_64 root=UUID=b3cf0f6a-55e1-4e25-83d5-88c0781c30e3 rw rootflags=subvol=@ quiet cryptdevice=UUID=ef44cf91-5209-4ff4-95bf-ffb124a71d7e:luks-ef44cf91-5209-4ff4-95bf-ffb124a71d7e root=/dev/mapper/luks-ef44cf91-5209-4ff4-95bf-ffb124a71d7e apparmor=1 security=apparmor udev.log_priority=3 ipv6.disable=1
  Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.23.5
    tk: Qt 5.15.2
    wm: kwin_x11
    vt: 1
    dm: SDDM
  Distro: Manjaro Linux
    base: Arch Linux

Machine:
  Type: Laptop
  System: ASUSTeK
    product: K50IJ
      v: 1.0
      serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: ASUSTeK
    model: K50IJ
      v: 1.0
      serial: <superuser required>
  BIOS: American Megatrends
    v: 218
    date: 04/09/2010

Battery:
  Device-1: hidpp_battery_0
    model: Logitech Wireless Mouse
    serial: <filter>
    charge: 55% (should be ignored)
    rechargeable: yes
    status: Discharging
  Device-2: hidpp_battery_1
    model: Logitech Wireless Keyboard K360
    serial: <filter>
    charge: 100% (should be ignored)
    rechargeable: yes
    status: Discharging

CPU:
  Info:
    model: Celeron T3100
    bits: 64
    type: MCP
    arch: Core Penryn
    family: 6
    model-id: 0x17 (23)
    stepping: 0xA (10)
    microcode: 0xA0B
  Topology:
    cpus: 1
      cores: 2
    smt: <unsupported>
    cache:
      L1: 128 KiB
        desc: d-2x32 KiB; i-2x32 KiB
      L2: 1024 KiB
        desc: 1x1024 KiB
  Speed (MHz):
    avg: 1895
    min/max: N/A
    cores:
      1: 1895
      2: 1895
    bogomips: 7584
  Flags: ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 ssse3
  Vulnerabilities:
    Type: itlb_multihit
      status: KVM: VMX unsupported
    Type: l1tf
      mitigation: PTE Inversion
    Type: mds
      status: Vulnerable: Clear CPU buffers attempted, no microcode; SMT disabled
    Type: meltdown
      mitigation: PTI
    Type: spec_store_bypass
      status: Vulnerable
    Type: spectre_v1
      mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
    Type: spectre_v2
      mitigation: Full generic retpoline, STIBP: disabled, RSB filling
    Type: srbds
      status: Not affected
    Type: tsx_async_abort
      status: Not affected

Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Mobile 4 Series Integrated Graphics
    vendor: ASUSTeK
    driver: i915
      v: kernel
    bus-ID: 00:02.0
    chip-ID: 8086:2a42
    class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Chicony 2.0M UVC Webcam / CNF7129
    type: USB
    driver: uvcvideo
    bus-ID: 1-3:2
    chip-ID: 04f2:b071
    class-ID: 0e02
    serial: <filter>
  Display: x11
    server: X.org 1.21.1.3
    compositor: kwin_x11
    driver:
      loaded: modesetting
      alternate: fbdev,vesa
    resolution: <missing: xdpyinfo>
  Message: Unable to show advanced data. Required tool glxinfo missing.

Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 82801I HD Audio
    vendor: Santa Cruz Operation
    driver: snd_hda_intel
      v: kernel
    bus-ID: 00:1b.0
    chip-ID: 8086:293e
    class-ID: 0403
  Sound Server-1: ALSA
    v: k5.16.2-1-MANJARO
    running: yes
  Sound Server-2: JACK
    v: 1.9.20
    running: no
  Sound Server-3: PulseAudio
    v: 15.0
    running: yes
  Sound Server-4: PipeWire
    v: 0.3.43
    running: yes

Network:
  Device-1: Qualcomm Atheros AR8121/AR8113/AR8114 Gigabit or Fast Ethernet
    vendor: ASUSTeK
    driver: ATL1E
      v: N/A
      modules: atl1e
    port: ec00
    bus-ID: 02:00.0
    chip-ID: 1969:1026
    class-ID: 0200
    IF: enp2s0
      state: up
      speed: 100 Mbps
      duplex: full
      mac: <filter>

Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Realtek Bluetooth Radio
    type: USB
    driver: btusb
      v: 0.8
    bus-ID: 6-1:2
    chip-ID: 0bda:8771
    class-ID: e001
    serial: <filter>
    Report: rfkill
      ID: hci0
        rfk-id: 2
      state: up
      address: see --recommends

Drives:
  Local Storage:
    total: 232.89 GiB
    used: 90.71 GiB (38.9%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda
    maj-min: 8:0
    vendor: Seagate
    model: ST9250315AS
    size: 232.89 GiB
    block-size:
      physical: 512 B
      logical: 512 B
    speed: 3.0 Gb/s
    type: HDD
    rpm: 5400
    serial: <filter>
    rev: SDM1
    scheme: MBR

Partition:
  ID-1: /
    raw-size: 232.88 GiB
    size: 232.88 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 90.71 GiB (39.0%)
    fs: btrfs
    dev: /dev/dm-0
      maj-min: 254:0
      mapped: luks-ef44cf91-5209-4ff4-95bf-ffb124a71d7e
  ID-2: /home
    raw-size: 232.88 GiB
    size: 232.88 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 90.71 GiB (39.0%)
    fs: btrfs
    dev: /dev/dm-0
      maj-min: 254:0
      mapped: luks-ef44cf91-5209-4ff4-95bf-ffb124a71d7e
  ID-3: /var/log
    raw-size: 232.88 GiB
    size: 232.88 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 90.71 GiB (39.0%)
    fs: btrfs
    dev: /dev/dm-0
      maj-min: 254:0
      mapped: luks-ef44cf91-5209-4ff4-95bf-ffb124a71d7e

Swap:
  Kernel:
    swappiness: 1 (default 60)
    cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1
    type: file
    size: 512 MiB
    used: 1.3 MiB (0.2%)
    priority: -2
    file: /swap/swapfile

Sensors:
  System Temperatures:
    cpu: 53.0 C
    mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A

Info:
  Processes: 219
  Uptime: 14m
    wakeups: 5
  Memory: 3.8 GiB
    used: 2.7 GiB (71.1%)
  Init: systemd
    v: 250
    tool: systemctl
  Compilers:
    gcc: 11.1.0
    clang: 13.0.0
  Packages:
    pacman: 1249
      lib: 334
    flatpak: 0
  Shell: Zsh
    v: 5.8
    default: Bash
      v: 5.1.16
    running-in: konsole
  inxi: 3.3.12

I got 2 system hangs while pamac doing that brand new Refreshing AUR stage: last one I have a web browser opened with about 5 youtube video tabs, at least three of them was paused, one was watching, also I have as opened a one more tab.
I decide to issue the pamac command above.
I got unresponsive PC at least for 1h 20 mins. After that I pulled out power source from the PC.
That was second time with that command run and on that mentioned stage.

After reboot I split terminal screen into two parts and executed the

watch -n 1 free -m

and

pamac update --force-refresh

I watched for the available field value of free.
For some AUR procedure I saw pamac was downloading a 9.3 MiB file and then was the Refreshing AUR... stage. I saw that while a file was downloading RAM available value was near 2400 MiB, during the stage I saw it was as low as 980 MiB.

I think that low end PCs (with low memory is incompatible with the current algorithm of pamac's force refresh action).

The issue is absent while I update other repos, including chaotic-aur but present during that Refreshing AUR stage.

Please try to optimize the algorithm to lower RAM usage (1.5 GiB from 10 MiB file) or add pamac requirements of 1.5 of RAM to proceed the dbs force update request.

Thank you!

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Only as Tip to prevent damage to your data

Gentle shut down a suddenly hanged PC to minimize a chance of getting a broken filesystem and data loss:

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