Akonadi Notes Agent hogs memory

[IanSammel]

Since upgrading to 14.04 I found that everything runs very slowly. The problem seems to be waiting for i/o. When I look at the memory usage it is full of akonadi_notes_agent. If I watch the memory use as the system starts up I see that the notes agent starts of small. Then it grows and grows over a minute or two until the memory is 100% full. If I kill off the notes agent then everything is fine for a short time but then notes agent starts up again. What is the notes agent? Why does it need all the memory? Do I need it? How can I permanently stop it or reduce its memory use? For the moment I just stop the akonadi server but that can't be the real answer.

[SteveRiley]

What's the output of

cat ~/.config/akonadi/agentsrc

[IanSammel]

Thanks for your reply. The output of the command is:

[InstanceCounters]
akonadi_birthdays_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_distlist_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_imap_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_localbookmarks_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_nntp_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_kcal_resource\InstanceCounter=1
akonadi_notes_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_microblog_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_vcard_resource\InstanceCounter=2
akonadi_maildir_resource\InstanceCounter=1
akonadi_knut_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_ical_resource\InstanceCounter=2
akonadi_kabc_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_nepomuktag_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_vcarddir_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_invitations_agent\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_mixedmaildir_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_openxchange_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_contacts_resource\InstanceCounter=1
akonadi_mbox_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_mailtransport_dummy_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_kdeaccounts_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_pop3_resource\InstanceCounter=8
akonadi_akonotes_resource\InstanceCounter=3
akonadi_davgroupware_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_kalarm_dir_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_kalarm_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_googlecalendar_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_icaldir_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_googlecontacts_resource\InstanceCounter=0
akonadi_facebook_resource\InstanceCounter=0

[Instances]
akonadi_vcard_resource_0\AgentType=akonadi_vcard_resource
akonadi_ical_resource_0\AgentType=akonadi_ical_resource
akonadi_maildispatcher_agent\AgentType=akonadi_maildispatcher_agent
akonadi_akonotes_resource_0\AgentType=akonadi_akonotes_resource
akonadi_maildir_resource_0\AgentType=akonadi_maildir_resource
akonadi_vcard_resource_1\AgentType=akonadi_vcard_resource
akonadi_akonotes_resource_1\AgentType=akonadi_akonotes_resource
akonadi_mailfilter_agent\AgentType=akonadi_mailfilter_agent
akonadi_birthdays_resource\AgentType=akonadi_birthdays_resource
akonadi_archivemail_agent\AgentType=akonadi_archivemail_agent
akonadi_sendlater_agent\AgentType=akonadi_sendlater_agent
akonadi_newmailnotifier_agent\AgentType=akonadi_newmailnotifier_agent
akonadi_contacts_resource_0\AgentType=akonadi_contacts_resource
akonadi_ical_resource_1\AgentType=akonadi_ical_resource
akonadi_akonotes_resource_2\AgentType=akonadi_akonotes_resource
akonadi_pop3_resource_0\AgentType=akonadi_pop3_resource
akonadi_pop3_resource_1\AgentType=akonadi_pop3_resource
akonadi_pop3_resource_2\AgentType=akonadi_pop3_resource
akonadi_pop3_resource_3\AgentType=akonadi_pop3_resource
akonadi_pop3_resource_4\AgentType=akonadi_pop3_resource
akonadi_pop3_resource_5\AgentType=akonadi_pop3_resource
akonadi_pop3_resource_6\AgentType=akonadi_pop3_resource
akonadi_pop3_resource_7\AgentType=akonadi_pop3_resource
akonadi_baloo_indexer\AgentType=akonadi_baloo_indexer
akonadi_notes_agent\AgentType=akonadi_notes_agent
akonadi_migration_agent\AgentType=akonadi_migration_agent

This is what htop shows, sorted by memory use:

  1  [||||||                                                                         6.0%]     Tasks: 141, 316 thr; 2 running
  2  [|||||||                                                                        7.8%]     Load average: 0.93 1.07 0.87 
  3  [|||||                                                                          3.9%]     Uptime: 00:11:44
  4  [|||||||                                                                        7.2%]
  Mem[||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||5632/5969MB]
  Swp[||                                                                      167/10872MB]

  PID USER      PRI  NI  VIRT   RES   SHR S CPU% MEM%   TIME+  Command
 2635 stuart     20   0 4597M 4059M  5560 S  0.0 68.0  0:48.75 /usr/bin/akonadi_notes_agent --identifier akonadi_notes_agent
 2803 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2804 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2805 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2806 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.23 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2807 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.32 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2808 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.01 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2809 stuart     21   1 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2810 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2811 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.05 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2812 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.03 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2813 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.06 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2814 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.06 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2815 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.31 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2816 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.41 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2818 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.68 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2819 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.05 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2820 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.14 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2821 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.01 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2834 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2835 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2836 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.04 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2837 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2839 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.80 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2841 stuart     21   1 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.04 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2842 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.36 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2843 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2844 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.01 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2850 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.02 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2853 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2861 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2925 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2927 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2941 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2952 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2966 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.02 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2792 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:17.05 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 3079 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 3080 stuart     20   0 1648M  255M 16348 S  0.0  4.3  0:00.00 /usr/lib/firefox/firefox [url]https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65497-Akonadi-Notes-Agent-hogs-memory&goto=newpost[/url]
 2432 stuart     20   0 3487M  146M 34012 S  0.0  2.5  0:00.00 /usr/bin/plasma-desktop
 2434 stuart     20   0 3487M  146M 34012 S  0.0  2.5  0:00.00 /usr/bin/plasma-desktop
 2435 stuart     20   0 3487M  146M 34012 S  0.0  2.5  0:00.00 /usr/bin/plasma-desktop
 2438 stuart     20   0 3487M  146M 34012 S  0.0  2.5  0:00.00 /usr/bin/plasma-desktop
 2430 stuart     20   0 3487M  146M 34012 S  2.6  2.5  0:22.82 /usr/bin/plasma-desktop
 2596 stuart     20   0 1329M  108M  8580 S  0.0  1.8  0:00.00 /usr/lib/thunderbird/thunderbird
 2597 stuart     20   0 1329M  108M  8580 S  0.0  1.8  0:00.00 /usr/lib/thunderbird/thunderbird
 2684 stuart     20   0 1329M  108M  8580 S  0.0  1.8  0:00.00 /usr/lib/thunderbird/thunderbird
 2689 stuart     20   0 1329M  108M  8580 S  0.0  1.8  0:00.04 /usr/lib/thunderbird/thunderbird
 2691 stuart     20   0 1329M  108M  8580 S  0.0  1.8  0:00.04 /usr/lib/thunderbird/thunderbird
 2692 stuart     20   0 1329M  108M  8580 S  0.0  1.8  0:00.06 /usr/lib/thunderbird/thunderbird
 2693 stuart     20   0 1329M  108M  8580 S  0.0  1.8  0:00.00 /usr/lib/thunderbird/thunderbird
 2697 stuart     21   1 1329M  108M  8580 S  0.0  1.8  0:00.00 /usr/lib/thunderbird/thunderbird
 2718 stuart     20   0 1329M  108M  8580 S  0.0  1.8  0:00.20 /usr/lib/thunderbird/thunderbird

[SteveRiley]

I presume you aren't using notes. If not, let's try to remove the offending agent. Run:

kcmshell4 kcm_akonadi

On the Resources configuration tab, remove all notes-related resources. Then on the Server configuration tab, click Stop. Wait for Akonadi to shut down. Now click Start.

Go back to the Resources configuration tab. Do any notes-related resources reappear?

[IanSammel]

I stopped "Notes" and that didn't make any difference. Then I stopped "akonadi_akonotes_resource_0" and the notes agent didn't restart. I stopped and tried to rerun "kcmshell4 kcm_akonadi" but I then got the error that personal information management services were not running. I clicked on the button to restart those and then the program started but neither of the above resources reappeared. Maybe it was some weird configuration left over from Saucy. The system now appears to be back to its old self which is the main thing.
Many thanks for your help.

[SteveRiley]

Maybe it was some weird configuration left over from Saucy. The system now appears to be back to its old self which is the main thing.
Many thanks for your help.

Yes, there was a change in how Akonadi handled notes. Maybe there's a bug in whatever process tries to migrate files. Glad you got everything working.