466349 - Playing a sound on this page sends kernel_tas CPU usage into orbit

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(External Software Affecting Firefox Graveyard :: Flash (Adobe), defect)

Description

[Tim Haines]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.4) Gecko/2008102920 Firefox/3.0.4
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.5; en-US; rv:1.9.0.4) Gecko/2008102920 Firefox/3.0.4

I'm running a Macbook Air on OSX 10.5.5.  This problem occurs when Firefox is started in safe mode too.  When I open this url -> http://www.soundsnap.com/search/audio/fire+explosion/score and play one of the sound files, the system task labelled kernel_tas starts consuming massive CPU usage - going above 100%, and stays there for quite a long time - sometimes needing a restart to resolve it.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Visit http://www.soundsnap.com/search/audio/fire+explosion/score
2. Play a sound file
3. Watch top showing the takeoff of kernel_tas
Actual Results:  
kernel_tas goes in to CPU usage 100%+ orbit, and stays there

Expected Results:  
No kernal_tas CPU usage orbit.

Just to reiterate - I get the same result when Firefox is booted in safe mode, so it's not one of my dodgy plugins.

Comment 1

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

The safemode deactivates all Extensions/Addons and third Party Themes but not plugins.
Firefox doesn't play audio files, a plugin must do that.
You can see the used plugin if you type about:plugins and look for the plugin that plays audio/mp3.

That a kernel Process takes massive CPU and you need sometimes a reboot to solve it makes me think that there is something wrong on your system.
This isn't limited to Firefox http://forums.macrumors.com/archive/index.php/t-555602.html

Comment 2

[Tim Haines]

Hey guys,

@Matthias - thanks for the info - you helped me resolved this.

I completely uninstalled Flash from the OS with Adobe's uninstaller app, and reinstalled it, and the problem is gone.

I'm not quite sure of your workflow process, so I'll let someone else close this issue..

Tim.

Comment 3

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

great that it works again for you.
You probably got a new flash version and that solved it.

I didn't saw the play button and I thought you are using the mp3 link.
The discovered the play function and it's indeed using flash for playing it....