At Wed, 29 Apr 2015 10:39:37 -0700 (PDT), Alexandra Yates wrote: > > > > At Tue, 28 Apr 2015 10:14:17 -0700 (PDT), > > Alexandra Yates wrote: > >> > >> > >> > As powertop list is for subscribers only, here Takashi's > >> > findings concerning a big memory waste fowarded: > >> > > >> > ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- > >> > > >> > Subject: Too much memory consumption by powertop > >> > Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2015, 05:32:41 PM > >> > From: Takashi Iwai <tiwai(a)suse.de&gt; > >> > To: powertop(a)lists.01.org > >> > CC: trenn(a)suse.de > >> > > >> > Hi, > >> > > >> > I noticed that powertop consumes way too much memory than needed. > It > >> > constantly takes over 170MB RES, sometimes over 200MB. > >> > > >> > Then I looked at profile, and it showed that most of memory is > >> > allocated for newpad_sp(). Indeed, the current code allocates a > pad > >> > of the fixed size of 1000x1000 (!) for each tab, and we have five > >> > tabs, so five times of that. No wonder that such a small neat CUI > >> > program is so hungry. > >> > > >> > For example, a hack like below already reduces the memory footprint > >> > to around 20MB, 90% cut. Not bad. > >> > > >> > --- a/src/display.cpp > >> > +++ b/src/display.cpp > >> > @@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ void create_tab(const string &name, cons > >> > if (!w) > >> > w = new(class tab_window); > >> > > >> > - w->win = newpad(1000,1000); > >> > + w->win = newpad(80,160); // XXX FIXME XXX > >> > tab_names.push_back(name); > >> > tab_windows[name] = w; > >> > tab_translations[name] = translation; > >> > > >> > Can anyone look into this and give a better / smarter solution? > >> > > >> > > >> > thanks, > >> > > >> > Takashi > >> > ----------------------------------------- > >> > _______________________________________________ > >> > PowerTop mailing list > >> > PowerTop(a)lists.01.org > >> > https://lists.01.org/mailman/listinfo/powertop > >> > > >> > >> To avoid the high memory consumption on testing run it on HTML mode > so > >> that the powertop.html report is generated in the background. > > > > Yeah, starting firefox is smaller than powertop, indeed :) > > > > > > Takashi > > > > Now if you really want save resources you could go by having your output > on a .txt file. Heh, I don't need to save so much memory at all. But consumption of 200MB for this kind of tool with CUI, not GUI, is just bad. One may call it a bug. Your suggestion is helpful, but it's neither solution nor workaround in this regard.

thanks, Takashi