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**Snowhog** · Jun 23, 2018, 03:02 PM

Welcome. First, no, you don't want to remove that package; it's needed by apt. Second, what version of Kubuntu are you running?

**claydoh** · Jun 23, 2018, 04:09 PM

Originally posted by Snowhog View Post

Welcome. First, no, you don't want to remove that package; it's needed by apt. Second, what version of Kubuntu are you running?

Actually, apt itself does not require apt-xapian-index, but Muon Package Manager and the Driver Manager in System Settings do.

If you don't use either of those (and you probably do

) it is ok to remove.

I find that the indexing does run more often on a fresh install, especially when adding ppas. After it gets a full index the size and time it runs is much smaller in future runs.

As Snowhog alludes to, recent Kubuntu versions don't seem to have this resource hogging, though 16.04 does seem to exhibit this.

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk

**philotux** · Jun 23, 2018, 05:59 PM

Hi Snowhog and claydoh,
Thank you both for your replies! Here is some basic info about my system:

Code:

~$ inxi -Sxx
System:Host: kubuntu Kernel: 4.15.0-23-generic x86_64 bits: 64 gcc: 7.3.0
Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.12.5 (Qt 5.9.5) dm: sddm,sddm
Distro: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

I have a very low end laptop, therefore I thought if I could prevent apt-xapian-index from running I could lift off some weight from its shoulder.Actually, I have already done this in other Ubuntu 18.04 flavors (Xubuntu and MATE) but then only one package was removed and nothing else. I can still run apt update and use Synaptic. I haven't noticed any problem caused by the removal of apt-xapian-index. It seems to be more essential to how package management is being done in Kubuntu.

Looking forward your comments and if there is need for further info, just let me know.

Cheers

**chimak111** · Jun 23, 2018, 08:23 PM

Originally posted by philotux View Post

Code:

~$ inxi -Sxx
System:Host: kubuntu Kernel: 4.15.0-23-generic x86_64 bits: 64 gcc: 7.3.0
Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.12.5 (Qt 5.9.5) dm: sddm,sddm
Distro: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

You could have instead provided the output of inxi -Fxz which would be more informative.

BTW, I'm not a fan of this either: Why has Kubuntu installed apt-xapian-index on my system?

**chimak111** · Jun 23, 2018, 08:49 PM

For what it's worth:
2 Rogue Processes Causing High CPU Usage
which credits
http://vk5hse.blogspot.com/2014/08/u...e-manager.html
which credits
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...33/comments/19

**gnomek** · Jun 24, 2018, 02:00 AM

It refers to process:

Code:

/usr/bin/python3/usr/sbin/update-apt-xapian-index --batch-mode --force --update

Maybe someone can figure out how to change this "force" to something else?

It would be ideally if it could run only when I start Muon.

I also found
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...ex/+bug/363695
and some workarounds here:
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1062688

**philotux** · Jun 24, 2018, 03:34 AM

Thanks chimak111 and gnomek for the input.
I am beginning to realize that there are more things involved here than a simple removal of a package. I surely need to read up a bit on this and look into the links you have posted.

Here is my:

Code:

~$ inxi -Fxz 
System:    Host: kubuntu Kernel: 4.15.0-23-generic x86_64 bits: 64 gcc: 7.3.0 
       Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.12.5 (Qt 5.9.5) Distro: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 
Machine:   Device: laptop System: ASUSTeK product: E402MA v: 1.0 serial: N/A 
       Mobo: ASUSTeK model: E402MA v: 1.0 serial: N/A 
       UEFI: American Megatrends v: E402MA.207 date: 01/28/2016 
Battery    BAT0: charge: 23.3 Wh 97.3% condition: 23.9/32.2 Wh (74%) 
       model: ASUSTeK E402-40 status: Charging 
CPU:       Dual core Intel Celeron N2840 (-MCP-)  
       arch: Silvermont rev.8 cache: 1024 KB 
       flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 8663 
       clock speeds: max: 2582 MHz 1: 701 MHz 2: 725 MHz 
Graphics:  Card: Intel Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series Graphics & Display 
       bus-ID: 00:02.0 
       Display Server: x11 (X.Org 1.19.6 ) 
       drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) 
       Resolution: 1366x768@60.06hz 
       OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Bay Trail 
       version: 4.2 Mesa 18.0.0-rc5 Direct Render: Yes                            
Audio:     Card Intel Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series High Def. Audio Controller  
       driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0                                      
       Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.15.0-23-generic             
Network:   Card-1: Qualcomm Atheros QCA9565 / AR9565 Wireless Network Adapter         
       driver: ath9k bus-ID: 02:00.0                                              
       IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac: <filter>                                         
       Card-2: Realtek RTL8101/2/6E PCIE Fast/Gigabit Ethernet controller         
       driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: e000 bus-ID: 03:00.2                     
       IF: enp3s0f2 state: down mac: <filter>                                     
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 250.1GB (10.9% used)                                       
       ID-1: /dev/mmcblk0 model: N/A size: 31.3GB                                 
       ID-2: /dev/sda model: Samsung_SSD_860 size: 250.1GB                        
Partition: ID-1: / size: 20G used: 7.8G (43%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda12                
       ID-2: swap-1 size: 2.15GB used: 0.00GB (0%)                                
       fs: swap dev: /dev/mmcblk0p2                                               
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present                
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 6280.0C mobo: N/A                                
       Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 3500                                             
Info:      Processes: 176 Uptime: 12 min Memory: 968.7/1875.8MB                       
       Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: N/A                                     
       Client: Shell (bash 4.4.191) inxi: 2.3.56

**chimak111** · Jun 24, 2018, 04:19 AM

@philotux,

The fix outlined in http://vk5hse.blogspot.com/2014/08/u...e-manager.html which I linked to earlier seems a decent way to deal with the issue.

It involves installing cpulimit, a tiny program, from the software repo and then modifying the single file that "orchestrates" the indexing. Essentially, a bit is added to limit, by means of cpulimit, the CPU usage of this particular process to just 5% (or to whatever other value you choose).

I have a slightly more competent machine than yours and so I just grin and bear it. But, if you ask nicely (pun intended), one of the more competent folks here may advise you on the suitability of going the cpulimit route.

Or you could just use sudo apt update and sudo apt upgrade and the rest from a terminal to avoid resource-intensive (depending on one's hardware) tools such as Muon and Discover.

**philotux** · Jun 24, 2018, 06:09 AM

Originally posted by chimak111 View Post

@philotux,

The fix outlined in http://vk5hse.blogspot.com/2014/08/u...e-manager.html which I linked to earlier seems a decent way to deal with the issue.

It involves installing cpulimit, a tiny program, from the software repo and then modifying the single file that "orchestrates" the indexing. Essentially, a bit is added to limit, by means of cpulimit, the CPU usage of this particular process to just 5% (or to whatever other value you choose).

Thanks for this pointer and the explanation. It is certainly an option to consider in order to prevent apt-xapian-index to consume that much CPU resource on this poor machine of mine.

Or you could just use sudo apt update and sudo apt upgrade and the rest from a terminal to avoid resource-intensive (depending on one's hardware) tools such as Muon and Discover.

This is also what I do normally. But sometimes I use Discover to window shopping a bit and I like Muon an it's counterpart Synaptic for just an easy to access relevant information about packages and also for installing/uninstalling, updating etc.

If I am not mistaken, apt-xapian-index is more incorporated in the package managing in Kubuntu than it is in Xubuntu for example and even Linux Mint. For the sake of experiment, I just removed the package in LM 19 beta. No other packages was listed to be removed along with it. So far everything seems to be working alright. I can still use Synaptic to update the cache, search and install packages. The only noticeable change is that searching is somewhat slower. It takes 3-4 seconds as opposed to almost instantaneous hit when a-x-i was installed.

I think, just for satisfying my curiosity, to rename /usr/share/apt-xapian-index to something else in Kubuntu and see if it prevents it from running even when using Muon or Discover and try to find out if this will affect the function of these in a negative way.

**gnomek** · Jun 24, 2018, 08:56 AM

Remember that you can uninstall muon and discover and search for packages in Terminal
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1608...e-command-line

**philotux** · Jun 24, 2018, 03:38 PM

Originally posted by gnomek View Post

Remember that you can uninstall muon and discover and search for packages in Terminal
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1608...e-command-line

Lots of useful command lines there, Thanks!

**GreyGeek** · Jun 24, 2018, 05:43 PM

What Snowhog says:

Code:

[FONT=courier new][B]sudo apt-cache rdepends apt-xapian-index[/B][/FONT]
apt-xapian-index
Reverse Depends:
  software-center
  python-apt
  python-apt
  python-apt
  muon
  muon
  muon
  muon
  libqapt3
  libqapt3
  libqapt3
  libqapt3
  muon
  libqapt3
  python-apt
  packagekit-backend-aptcc
  ubuntu-kylin-software-center
  synaptic
  python-apt
  packagesearch
  muon
  goplay
  aptitude
  packagekit-backend-aptcc

 [FONT=courier new][B]sudo apt-cache depends apt-xapian-index[/B][/FONT]
apt-xapian-index
  Depends: python3-xapian1.3
  Depends: python3-apt
  Depends: python3-debian
  Depends: <python3:any>
    python3:i386
    python3
  Suggests: app-install-data
  Suggests: python3-xdg

**philotux** · Jun 25, 2018, 04:47 AM

Thanks for the input GreyGeek!

I think I understand better now the mutual dependency relationship between these packages. I have definitely changed my mind regarding the removal of
apt-xapian-index since I want to keep those packages that are to be removed otherwise.

However, I still wanted to experiment with disabling the updates to the Xapain index and see if it stops running almost every time I run Muon or Discover and therefore I did the following:

Code:

sudo chmod -x /usr/sbin/update-apt-xapian-index

in order to make it non-executable.

I have since launched both muon and discover and they seem to be functioning as normal. I have searched and installed packages, updated the cache and installed the updates. I even added an additional repository to see if those packages will show in muon and discover which they did after updating the cache. So far things look as they should.

I could then do a manual update once in a while by executing the following commands:

Code:

sudo chmod +x /usr/sbin/update-apt-xapian-index
sudo update-apt-xapian-index -u

which then will perform an "incremental update, reindexing only those packages whose version has changed since the last run" (man update-apt-xapian-index).

Please give your comments and share your thoughts. Being still much of a novice in the process of learning things Linux, I will greatly appreciate all input from you all.

**GreyGeek** · Jun 25, 2018, 01:00 PM

I rarely use the file search functions in the desktop. I usually open a Konsole and use "locate". It is updated everyday with a cron job in /etc/cron.daily. Or, I can issue "sudo updatedb" in a Konsole and update the locate database manually, after I've made changes. Locate is a lot faster in a Konsole than the desktop search, IME.

If I want to search text files for a word or phrase I use grep:
grep -B3 -A4 hide /home/jerry/Documents/FOIA/FOIA/mail/*

man grep
explains things.

That command allows me to search 1,027 emails released in the 2009 FOIA CRU whistleblower file for the word "hide". If I do this within kate I get a list of all the matches. If I click on a match that document is opened in Kate and the line where the word occurs is highlighted. I similar search allows me to look through over 5000 emails in the 2011 CRU release.

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Can I remove/disable apt-xapian-index?

Can I remove/disable apt-xapian-index?

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