trimming down and cleaning up my install

LMHmedchem · April 6, 2016, 2:18am

Hello,

I have set up an opensuse 13.2 install which is my primary box at the moment. I am once again baffled to find 209 processes running. I am only running three programs aside from xord and the plasma desktop. My windows xp box boots to 19 processes, including 6 that are third party security apps. There are probably another 15 or so services running in instances of the generic host process. That is still well under 40 total items running at boot time. I find it very difficult to believe that all of the 200+ processes running at boot in opensuse are necessary. In fact, it would be nice if someone could explain why there is a buetooth process installed and running at startup by default when I have no bluetooth devices? Why is there an hp status service running with an icon in the panel when I don’t have a printer installed, let alone an hp printer?

To me, one of the main attractions of linux is the ability to configure a light and efficient install with the software I need and want, not with all the garbage software that is heaped on our heads by Microsoft. I don’t know opensuse well enough to be able to tell what software packages I don’t need and can uninstall. Can someone shed some light on this issue and point me in the right direction as far as getting the process list down to a more reasonable load?

I have posted the output of ps -e below in case that is useful.

LMHmedchem


user1@linux-l2ng:~/RI9_S1v1_INC_47.22_bkey_all> ps -e
  PID TTY          TIME CMD
    1 ?        00:00:02 systemd
    2 ?        00:00:00 kthreadd
    3 ?        00:00:00 ksoftirqd/0
    5 ?        00:00:00 kworker/0:0H
    7 ?        00:00:00 rcuc/0
    8 ?        00:00:00 rcub/0
    9 ?        00:00:03 rcu_preempt
   10 ?        00:00:01 rcuop/0
   11 ?        00:00:00 rcuop/1
   12 ?        00:00:00 rcuop/2
   13 ?        00:00:00 rcuop/3
   14 ?        00:00:00 rcu_sched
   15 ?        00:00:00 rcuos/0
   16 ?        00:00:00 rcuos/1
   17 ?        00:00:00 rcuos/2
   18 ?        00:00:00 rcuos/3
   19 ?        00:00:00 rcu_bh
   20 ?        00:00:00 rcuob/0
   21 ?        00:00:00 rcuob/1
   22 ?        00:00:00 rcuob/2
   23 ?        00:00:00 rcuob/3
   24 ?        00:00:00 migration/0
   25 ?        00:00:00 watchdog/0
   26 ?        00:00:00 watchdog/1
   27 ?        00:00:00 migration/1
   28 ?        00:00:00 rcuc/1
   29 ?        00:00:00 ksoftirqd/1
   31 ?        00:00:00 kworker/1:0H
   32 ?        00:00:00 watchdog/2
   33 ?        00:00:00 migration/2
   34 ?        00:00:00 rcuc/2
   35 ?        00:00:00 ksoftirqd/2
   37 ?        00:00:00 kworker/2:0H
   38 ?        00:00:00 watchdog/3
   39 ?        00:00:00 migration/3
   40 ?        00:00:00 rcuc/3
   41 ?        00:00:00 ksoftirqd/3
   43 ?        00:00:00 kworker/3:0H
   44 ?        00:00:00 khelper
   45 ?        00:00:00 kdevtmpfs
   46 ?        00:00:00 netns
   47 ?        00:00:00 khungtaskd
   48 ?        00:00:00 writeback
   49 ?        00:00:00 ksmd
   50 ?        00:00:00 khugepaged
   51 ?        00:00:00 crypto
   52 ?        00:00:00 kintegrityd
   53 ?        00:00:00 bioset
   54 ?        00:00:00 kblockd
   55 ?        00:00:00 ata_sff
   56 ?        00:00:00 khubd
   58 ?        00:00:00 kswapd0
   59 ?        00:00:00 fsnotify_mark
   66 ?        00:00:00 kthrotld
   67 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_0
   68 ?        00:00:00 scsi_tmf_0
   69 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_1
   70 ?        00:00:00 scsi_tmf_1
   71 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_2
   72 ?        00:00:00 scsi_tmf_2
   73 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_3
   74 ?        00:00:00 scsi_tmf_3
   75 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_4
   76 ?        00:00:00 scsi_tmf_4
   77 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_5
   78 ?        00:00:00 scsi_tmf_5
   85 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_6
   86 ?        00:00:00 scsi_tmf_6
   87 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_7
   88 ?        00:00:00 scsi_tmf_7
   90 ?        00:00:00 kworker/u8:8
   91 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_8
   92 ?        00:00:00 scsi_tmf_8
   93 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_9
   94 ?        00:00:00 scsi_tmf_9
   98 ?        00:00:00 kpsmoused
  100 ?        00:00:00 ipv6_addrconf
  101 ?        00:00:00 deferwq
  143 ?        00:00:00 kauditd
  268 ?        00:00:00 kworker/0:1H
  271 ?        00:00:00 kworker/2:1H
  275 ?        00:00:00 kworker/1:1H
  277 ?        00:00:00 kworker/3:1H
  286 ?        00:00:00 scsi_eh_10
  287 ?        00:00:00 scsi_tmf_10
  288 ?        00:00:04 usb-storage
  312 ?        00:00:00 jbd2/sda3-8
  313 ?        00:00:00 ext4-rsv-conver
  425 ?        00:00:00 systemd-journal
  439 ?        00:00:00 systemd-udevd
  456 ?        00:00:01 haveged
  489 ?        00:00:00 acpi_thermal_pm
  580 ?        00:00:00 irq/56-mei_me
  657 ?        00:00:00 led_workqueue
  663 ?        00:00:00 kvm-irqfd-clean
  773 ?        00:00:00 mount.ntfs-3g
  777 ?        00:00:00 hd-audio0
  792 ?        00:00:00 jbd2/sda4-8
  793 ?        00:00:00 ext4-rsv-conver
  801 ?        00:00:00 mount.ntfs-3g
  802 ?        00:00:11 mount.ntfs-3g
  805 ?        00:00:00 mount.ntfs-3g
  988 ?        00:00:00 avahi-daemon
  990 ?        00:00:00 mcelog
  992 ?        00:00:00 wpa_supplicant
  993 ?        00:00:00 ModemManager
 1000 ?        00:00:00 nscd
 1019 ?        00:00:02 dbus-daemon
 1025 ?        00:00:00 rsyslogd
 1033 ?        00:00:03 polkitd
 1034 ?        00:00:00 systemd-logind
 1035 tty1     00:00:00 agetty
 1101 ?        00:00:00 kdm
 1126 ?        00:00:00 NetworkManager
 1130 ?        00:00:00 cfg80211
 1139 tty8     00:00:55 Xorg
 1149 ?        00:00:00 cupsd
 1182 ?        00:00:00 iprt-VBoxWQueue
 1205 ?        00:00:00 iprt-VBoxTscThr
 1237 ?        00:00:00 kdm
 1248 ?        00:00:00 systemd
 1249 ?        00:00:00 (sd-pam)
 1250 ?        00:00:00 startkde
 1396 ?        00:00:00 dbus-launch
 1398 ?        00:00:00 dbus-daemon
 1405 ?        00:00:14 ibus-daemon
 1413 ?        00:00:00 master
 1422 ?        00:00:00 qmgr
 1444 ?        00:00:00 cron
 1467 ?        00:00:00 gpg-agent
 1482 ?        00:00:00 gvfsd
 1486 ?        00:00:00 gvfsd-fuse
 1491 ?        00:00:00 ibus-dconf
 1493 ?        00:00:02 ibus-ui-gtk3
 1499 ?        00:00:00 ibus-x11
 1503 ?        00:00:00 at-spi-bus-laun
 1508 ?        00:00:00 dbus-daemon
 1511 ?        00:00:00 at-spi2-registr
 1546 ?        00:00:00 start_kdeinit
 1547 ?        00:00:00 kdeinit4
 1548 ?        00:00:04 ibus-engine-sim
 1554 ?        00:00:00 klauncher
 1556 ?        00:00:02 kded4
 1559 ?        00:00:00 kglobalaccel
 1568 ?        00:00:00 kactivitymanage
 1569 ?        00:00:01 upowerd
 1613 ?        00:00:00 kwrapper4
 1615 ?        00:00:00 ksmserver
 1629 ?        00:00:20 udisksd
 1639 ?        00:00:27 kwin
 1646 ?        00:00:00 baloo_file
 1647 ?        00:00:22 plasma-desktop
 1655 ?        00:00:00 bluetoothd
 1673 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_control
 1675 ?        00:00:00 akonadiserver
 1677 ?        00:00:16 mysqld
 1679 ?        00:00:00 ksysguardd
 1720 ?        00:00:00 krunner
 1722 ?        00:00:00 kmix
 1727 ?        00:00:00 pulseaudio
 1728 ?        00:00:00 rtkit-daemon
 1750 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_agent_l
 1751 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_archive
 1752 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_baloo_i
 1753 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_birthda
 1754 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_agent_l
 1755 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_followu
 1756 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_agent_l
 1757 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_agent_l
 1758 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_maildis
 1759 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_mailfil
 1760 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_migrati
 1761 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_newmail
 1762 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_notes_a
 1763 ?        00:00:00 akonadi_sendlat
 1807 ?        00:00:00 cat
 1813 ?        00:00:00 cat
 1815 ?        00:00:00 cat
 1816 ?        00:00:00 cat
 1817 ?        00:00:00 cat
 1819 ?        00:00:03 kwrite
 1821 ?        00:00:10 konsole
 1822 ?        00:00:00 python
 1833 ?        00:00:00 polkit-kde-auth
 1847 ?        00:00:00 klipper
 1848 ?        00:00:00 knotify4
 1854 pts/1    00:00:00 bash
 1889 ?        00:00:00 python
 1890 ?        00:00:01 python
 2093 ?        00:00:00 gconfd-2
 2699 ?        00:00:00 kworker/2:1
 2918 ?        00:00:00 kworker/2:0
 3138 ?        00:00:00 kworker/2:2
 3515 ?        00:00:00 dhclient
 3977 ?        00:00:00 seamonkey
 3982 ?        00:03:01 seamonkey-bin
 4241 ?        00:00:00 pickup
 4277 ?        00:00:00 kworker/3:2
 4484 ?        00:00:00 kworker/u8:0
 4524 ?        00:00:00 kworker/0:1
 4567 ?        00:00:00 kworker/0:0
 4568 ?        00:00:00 kworker/1:1
 4569 ?        00:00:00 kworker/3:0
 4617 ?        00:00:00 kworker/1:0
 4621 ?        00:00:22 ksysguard
 4623 ?        00:00:01 ksysguardd
 4638 ?        00:00:00 kworker/2:4
 4686 ?        00:00:00 kworker/3:1
 4687 ?        00:00:00 kworker/1:2
 4688 ?        00:00:00 kworker/2:3
 4716 pts/1    00:00:00 ps

tsu2 · April 6, 2016, 3:52am

You installed a "Do everything for you automatically "Desktop, KDE (Plasma).

If you preferred instead to install something light and simple to start with minimal services running, then you should have installed some other Desktop.

If you like the KDE look and feel, the openSUSE version of LXDE retains some of that feel but without all those extras.
If you like the Gnome look and feel, the openSUSE version of XFCE retains some of that feel.

If you want to start very bare bones, you can start with the Minimal-X install which only installs a window manager and console app.

If you’ve updated your system, you can choose many different Desktops using either zypper or YAST to install.
You can even install a number of Desktops side by side and try them out until you find one you like.

TSU

gogalthorp · April 6, 2016, 4:50am

Generally those processes don’t use much processor. If in doubt run top in a konsole. Note also the Linux tends to have lots of simple processes rather then a few complex large processes

kerijan2003 · April 6, 2016, 4:48pm

As well, remember that out of the box, there are settings in System Settings (not YAST) that require that certain services be running (to make it easier, for those who have the hardware, out of the box (e.g. bluetooth)). You need only turn off the settings that require those services.

nrickert · April 6, 2016, 5:53pm

There are 279 processes running here. Most are idle.

If I booted to a command line instead of the GUI, I expect there would be fewer processes.

kerijan2003 · April 7, 2016, 4:31pm

True. I hadn’t noted that it was cli.

hcvv · April 7, 2016, 4:44pm

To start with, you took the ps listing apparently while some user is loged in in the GUI (KDE if I am correct). A lot of those processes are thus not to just “run the system”. Using a ps listing that shows the process owners (and then maybe grep the loged in user out) would be more telling. Or make the ps listing whith no user loged in in the GUI.