1810022 - Firefox on Linux consumes 100% of CPU every couple of minutes

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Core :: Performance, defect)

Description

[Mike Erman]

Steps to reproduce:

Using Firefox with zero or more tabs open will consume 100% of the cpu and causes the fans on my laptop to spin up every couple of minutes. It stays there for a minute or two and then spins down.

I have one plugin installed (foxyproxy) which I have disabled for troubleshooting.
I have disabled captive portal settings.
I have disabled hardware acceleration.
I only have about:blank open
I have about:performance up and it does not log any memory (35MB total) increase or any process that has energy impact.

Despite this, every couple of minutes firefox-bin jumps to 100% cpu.
It is as barebones as I can make it.

This has been happening over several versions now for several months.

Actual results:

spins up to 100% CPU every couple of minutes, spins up fans, then after about 2 minutes it spins back down.

Happens when no tabs are open and most of the time just using one tab that has a local html file loaded.

Expected results:

Expected that firefox would be using next to zero system resources but every couple of minutes it goes through the same cycles regardless.

Comment 1

[Mike Erman]

This bug describes nearly perfectly what is happening: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1581130

the about:performance tab is not logging any of the activity so it is a background process.

I operate largely on networks without any sort of standard connectivity. I think we are seeing this on windows and many other systems.

This morning, while monitoring, I killed firefox when the cpu and fans ramped up. the following background process were still running and still eating the cpu:
localuser 1751503 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 /bin/sh -c firefox

localuser 1751504 1751503 5 Jan12 ? 00:50:53 /usr/bin/firefox.real

localuser 1751585 1751504 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 /usr/share/firefox/firefox-bin -contentproc -parentBuildID 20221215175817 -prefsLen 22846 -prefMapSize 225884 -appDir /usr/share/firefox/browser {dfd1c96b-7e7f-4dcb-813f-dd388e3d0088} 1751504 true socket

localuser 1751615 1751504 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:10 /usr/share/firefox/firefox-bin -contentproc -childID 1 -isForBrowser -prefsLen 22987 -prefMapSize 225884 -jsInitLen 246772 -parentBuildID 20221215175817 -appDir /usr/share/firefox/browser {8da5f858-eb43-4daa-900d-c1ff7e2d099e} 1751504 true tab

localuser 1751664 1751504 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:05 /usr/share/firefox/firefox-bin -contentproc -childID 3 -isForBrowser -prefsLen 23028 -prefMapSize 225884 -jsInitLen 246772 -parentBuildID 20221215175817 -appDir /usr/share/firefox/browser {41926347-4eea-44b8-8cb2-30cee09ccd32} 1751504 true tab

localuser 1751667 1751504 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:05 /usr/share/firefox/firefox-bin -contentproc -childID 4 -isForBrowser -prefsLen 23028 -prefMapSize 225884 -jsInitLen 246772 -parentBuildID 20221215175817 -appDir /usr/share/firefox/browser {dbdb24dc-20ed-4eab-8115-65467b1a68e9} 1751504 true tab

localuser 1751763 1751504 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:05 /usr/share/firefox/firefox-bin -contentproc -childID 5 -isForBrowser -prefsLen 23808 -prefMapSize 225884 -jsInitLen 246772 -parentBuildID 20221215175817 -appDir /usr/share/firefox/browser {a0568add-c667-4e44-8646-17c9fd52fca2} 1751504 true tab

what can I do to completely disable these processes?

they aren't needed nor desired, do not show up in about:performance, and run independently of the actual browser.

Comment 2

[Daniel Bodea [:danibodea]]

Can you provide us with a performance profile (when this issue reproduces)?

To do this, you ned to take these steps:

1. load https://profiler.firefox.com/
2. Click the "+ Enable Firefox Prodiler Menu Button"
3. Click on "Start Recording" on the newly opened modal/menu.
4. Let the issue reproduce for a few minutes.
5. click the "performance" icon again to stop the recording (the icon looks like a speedometer)
6. The performance profile will have been captured; next you need to click "Upload Local Profile" button in the top-right.
7. Select every checkbox to be included and click on "Upload".
8. Then get the "permalink" (ex. https://share.firefox.dev/3QC60xL) and paste it here.

Thank you for your contribution!

Comment 3

[Mike Erman]

I actually performed the refresh firefox/reset all settings and dumped all cache and history.

Now have reset the few settings I had and reloaded foxyproxy and it seems that has fixed the problem.

I monitored CPU usage and processes for several days and it never ramped up at all.

Comment 4

[Daniel Bodea [:danibodea]]

Considering the reporter's information in the last comment, I will close this report as WORKSFORME.
If it reappears, please reopen this report and try to answer the questions asked in the hope of finding the real cause.