Arch Linux

9tales

Member

Registered: 2015-09-08

Posts: 5

Abnormally high load average on cpu idle

My load averages are usually > 1.2 even when I leave my system unattended for >10 mins after a restart. I've checked with htop that the cpu usage bars aren't moving much. An average cpu utilization is nearly 5-10% on idle. I'm running the 4.1.10-2-lts kernel.

I've tried downgrading to 4.1.9-lts, but the problem persists. I'm on a laptop. On another desktop where I'm running the same setup essentially, (with the 4.1.10-2-lts kernel) the load average correctly shows 0.00 after being left idle for >10 minutes with no programs running in the background.

Any ideas on why the calculation of load is faulty?

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 19,804

Re: Abnormally high load average on cpu idle

Any ideas on why the calculation of load is faulty?

Why do you assert that the instrumentation is wrong?   It could be.  I've been lied to by more than one sensor in my life.
But don't start by assuming an equine is a zebra.

Have you looked at htop to determine what is using the processor(s)?

---

Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
---
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way