VirtualBox headless caused high CPU load on Mac OS X
When I run a CentOS linux VM on VirtualBox in headless mode the CPU continuously spikes up to about 80% for a couple of seconds at a time with a short 1 or 2 second gap and then does it again. Even with the machine idling, no other application running and the CentOS system doing nothing. If I change it and run it normally, e.g. head mode, then this effect doesn't happen. It would appear to be the opendirectoryd, cfprefsd and notifyd along with the VBoxHeadless process causing the majority of the load during the spikes.
I have tried this on two MacBook Pro's both running Mac OS X 10.9.3 and it has the same effect on both.
Has anyone else observed this behaviour and know how to prevent it?
macos virtualbox mac headless
asked Jun 20 '14 at 18:48
andrewdixonandrewdixon
11914
migrated from serverfault.com Jun 21 '14 at 9:39
This question came from our site for system and network administrators.
add a comment |
When I run a CentOS linux VM on VirtualBox in headless mode the CPU continuously spikes up to about 80% for a couple of seconds at a time with a short 1 or 2 second gap and then does it again. Even with the machine idling, no other application running and the CentOS system doing nothing. If I change it and run it normally, e.g. head mode, then this effect doesn't happen. It would appear to be the opendirectoryd, cfprefsd and notifyd along with the VBoxHeadless process causing the majority of the load during the spikes.
I have tried this on two MacBook Pro's both running Mac OS X 10.9.3 and it has the same effect on both.
Has anyone else observed this behaviour and know how to prevent it?
macos virtualbox mac headless
asked Jun 20 '14 at 18:48
andrewdixonandrewdixon
11914
migrated from serverfault.com Jun 21 '14 at 9:39
This question came from our site for system and network administrators.
Did you ever figure out how to fix this? My MBA sounds like a jet engine when I am using Ubuntu server in Virtual Box. I checked the server stats and it is using very little processor power.
– ATLChris
Feb 22 '15 at 14:59
Only solution was to not use it in headless mode.
– andrewdixon
Feb 22 '15 at 15:00
Same problem, has anyone reported this as a bug to the VirtualBox folk?
– Chris Withers
Mar 3 '15 at 10:25
@andrewdixon how can I run without the headless mode?
– user54098
Jun 16 '16 at 19:17
add a comment |
When I run a CentOS linux VM on VirtualBox in headless mode the CPU continuously spikes up to about 80% for a couple of seconds at a time with a short 1 or 2 second gap and then does it again. Even with the machine idling, no other application running and the CentOS system doing nothing. If I change it and run it normally, e.g. head mode, then this effect doesn't happen. It would appear to be the opendirectoryd, cfprefsd and notifyd along with the VBoxHeadless process causing the majority of the load during the spikes.
I have tried this on two MacBook Pro's both running Mac OS X 10.9.3 and it has the same effect on both.
Has anyone else observed this behaviour and know how to prevent it?
macos virtualbox mac headless
asked Jun 20 '14 at 18:48
andrewdixonandrewdixon
11914
When I run a CentOS linux VM on VirtualBox in headless mode the CPU continuously spikes up to about 80% for a couple of seconds at a time with a short 1 or 2 second gap and then does it again. Even with the machine idling, no other application running and the CentOS system doing nothing. If I change it and run it normally, e.g. head mode, then this effect doesn't happen. It would appear to be the opendirectoryd, cfprefsd and notifyd along with the VBoxHeadless process causing the majority of the load during the spikes.
I have tried this on two MacBook Pro's both running Mac OS X 10.9.3 and it has the same effect on both.
Has anyone else observed this behaviour and know how to prevent it?
macos virtualbox mac headless
macos virtualbox mac headless
asked Jun 20 '14 at 18:48
andrewdixonandrewdixon
11914
asked Jun 20 '14 at 18:48
andrewdixonandrewdixon
11914
asked Jun 20 '14 at 18:48
andrewdixonandrewdixon
11914
asked Jun 20 '14 at 18:48
andrewdixonandrewdixon
11914
asked Jun 20 '14 at 18:48
andrewdixonandrewdixon
11914
11914
migrated from serverfault.com Jun 21 '14 at 9:39
This question came from our site for system and network administrators.
migrated from serverfault.com Jun 21 '14 at 9:39
This question came from our site for system and network administrators.
Did you ever figure out how to fix this? My MBA sounds like a jet engine when I am using Ubuntu server in Virtual Box. I checked the server stats and it is using very little processor power.
– ATLChris
Feb 22 '15 at 14:59
Only solution was to not use it in headless mode.
– andrewdixon
Feb 22 '15 at 15:00
Same problem, has anyone reported this as a bug to the VirtualBox folk?
– Chris Withers
Mar 3 '15 at 10:25
@andrewdixon how can I run without the headless mode?
– user54098
Jun 16 '16 at 19:17
add a comment |
Did you ever figure out how to fix this? My MBA sounds like a jet engine when I am using Ubuntu server in Virtual Box. I checked the server stats and it is using very little processor power.
– ATLChris
Feb 22 '15 at 14:59
Only solution was to not use it in headless mode.
– andrewdixon
Feb 22 '15 at 15:00
Same problem, has anyone reported this as a bug to the VirtualBox folk?
– Chris Withers
Mar 3 '15 at 10:25
@andrewdixon how can I run without the headless mode?
– user54098
Jun 16 '16 at 19:17
Did you ever figure out how to fix this? My MBA sounds like a jet engine when I am using Ubuntu server in Virtual Box. I checked the server stats and it is using very little processor power.
– ATLChris
Feb 22 '15 at 14:59
Did you ever figure out how to fix this? My MBA sounds like a jet engine when I am using Ubuntu server in Virtual Box. I checked the server stats and it is using very little processor power.
– ATLChris
Feb 22 '15 at 14:59
Only solution was to not use it in headless mode.
– andrewdixon
Feb 22 '15 at 15:00
Only solution was to not use it in headless mode.
– andrewdixon
Feb 22 '15 at 15:00
Same problem, has anyone reported this as a bug to the VirtualBox folk?
– Chris Withers
Mar 3 '15 at 10:25
Same problem, has anyone reported this as a bug to the VirtualBox folk?
– Chris Withers
Mar 3 '15 at 10:25
@andrewdixon how can I run without the headless mode?
– user54098
Jun 16 '16 at 19:17
@andrewdixon how can I run without the headless mode?
– user54098
Jun 16 '16 at 19:17
add a comment |
1 Answer
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I'm seeing this with both headless and normal mode.
A workaround for me is just to stop opendirectoryd:
sudo launchctl stop com.apple.opendirectoryd
Sadly, something restarts it.
This config tweak is currently working for me: https://superuser.com/a/426719/418576
edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:17
Community♦
1
answered Mar 3 '15 at 10:54
Chris WithersChris Withers
1013
add a comment |
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I'm seeing this with both headless and normal mode.
A workaround for me is just to stop opendirectoryd:
sudo launchctl stop com.apple.opendirectoryd
Sadly, something restarts it.
This config tweak is currently working for me: https://superuser.com/a/426719/418576
edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:17
Community♦
1
answered Mar 3 '15 at 10:54
Chris WithersChris Withers
1013
add a comment |
I'm seeing this with both headless and normal mode.
A workaround for me is just to stop opendirectoryd:
sudo launchctl stop com.apple.opendirectoryd
Sadly, something restarts it.
This config tweak is currently working for me: https://superuser.com/a/426719/418576
edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:17
Community♦
1
answered Mar 3 '15 at 10:54
Chris WithersChris Withers
1013
add a comment |
I'm seeing this with both headless and normal mode.
A workaround for me is just to stop opendirectoryd:
sudo launchctl stop com.apple.opendirectoryd
Sadly, something restarts it.
This config tweak is currently working for me: https://superuser.com/a/426719/418576
edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:17
Community♦
1
answered Mar 3 '15 at 10:54
Chris WithersChris Withers
1013
I'm seeing this with both headless and normal mode.
A workaround for me is just to stop opendirectoryd:
sudo launchctl stop com.apple.opendirectoryd
Sadly, something restarts it.
This config tweak is currently working for me: https://superuser.com/a/426719/418576
edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:17
Community♦
1
answered Mar 3 '15 at 10:54
Chris WithersChris Withers
1013
edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:17
Community♦
1
edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:17
Community♦
1
edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:17
Community♦
1
1
answered Mar 3 '15 at 10:54
Chris WithersChris Withers
1013
answered Mar 3 '15 at 10:54
Chris WithersChris Withers
1013
answered Mar 3 '15 at 10:54
Chris WithersChris Withers
1013
1013
add a comment |
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Did you ever figure out how to fix this? My MBA sounds like a jet engine when I am using Ubuntu server in Virtual Box. I checked the server stats and it is using very little processor power.
– ATLChris
Feb 22 '15 at 14:59
Only solution was to not use it in headless mode.
– andrewdixon
Feb 22 '15 at 15:00
Same problem, has anyone reported this as a bug to the VirtualBox folk?
– Chris Withers
Mar 3 '15 at 10:25
@andrewdixon how can I run without the headless mode?
– user54098
Jun 16 '16 at 19:17