[systemd-bugs] [Bug 62958] New: systemd floods its own logs and eats the all the CPU

[bugzilla-daemon at freedesktop.org]

https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=62958

          Priority: medium
            Bug ID: 62958
          Assignee: systemd-bugs at lists.freedesktop.org
           Summary: systemd floods its own logs and eats the all the CPU
        QA Contact: systemd-bugs at lists.freedesktop.org
          Severity: normal
    Classification: Unclassified
                OS: Linux (All)
          Reporter: higuita at gmx.net
          Hardware: Other
            Status: NEW
           Version: unspecified
         Component: general
           Product: systemd

Reporting problem upstream, as requested in
https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/33990

here is a copy of the problem reported:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I made a mistake configuring the syslog-ng (my fault) and a few minutes later
found that systemd was eating all the cpu.
A simple dmesg showed the problem:

[ 865.485322] systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start request repeated too quickly,
refusing to start.

trying to find the origin of the problem, i got:

# journalctl -xn
-- Logs begin at Sáb 2013-02-23 21:22:54 WET, end at Dom 2013-02-24 01:37:39
WET. --
Fev 24 01:37:39 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.
Fev 24 01:37:39 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.
Fev 24 01:37:39 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.
Fev 24 01:37:39 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.
Fev 24 01:37:39 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.
Fev 24 01:37:39 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.
Fev 24 01:37:39 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.
Fev 24 01:37:39 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.
Fev 24 01:37:39 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.
Fev 24 01:37:39 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.


# systemctl status syslog-ng.service
syslog-ng.service - System Logger Daemon
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/syslog-ng.service; enabled)
Active: failed (Result: start-limit) since Dom 2013-02-24 01:37:58 WET; 5s ago
Docs: man:syslog-ng(8)
Process: 2494 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/syslog-ng -F (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

Fev 24 01:38:02 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: Failed to start System Logger
Daemon.
Fev 24 01:38:02 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: Failed to start System Logger
Daemon.
Fev 24 01:38:02 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: Failed to start System Logger
Daemon.
Fev 24 01:38:02 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: Failed to start System Logger
Daemon.
Fev 24 01:38:02 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: Failed to start System Logger
Daemon.
Fev 24 01:38:02 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.
Fev 24 01:38:02 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: Failed to start System Logger
Daemon.
Fev 24 01:38:02 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: Failed to start System Logger
Daemon.
Fev 24 01:38:02 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: Failed to start System Logger
Daemon.
Fev 24 01:38:02 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.
Fev 24 01:38:02 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.
Fev 24 01:38:02 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.
Fev 24 01:38:02 paquete.motaleite.net systemd[1]: syslog-ng.service start
request repeated too quickly, refusing to start.

so only useless info because systemd is busy flooding its own logs, hiding the
real problem.

after some tries using systemd, i gave up and debug syslog-ng manually:

# /usr/sbin/syslog-ng -F
Error parsing config, duplicate destination definition in
/etc/syslog-ng/syslog-ng.conf at line 96, column 1:

destination d_mail { file("/var/log/maillog"); };
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

syslog-ng documentation:
http://www.balabit.com/support/documentation/?product=syslog-ng
mailing list: https://lists.balabit.hu/mailman/listinfo/syslog-ng

So there, this is what systemd should have reported in the very beginning!

So what i recommend is that systemd should merge identical messages or at very
least, ignore it own flood messages

++++++++++++++++++++++

Of course, even without the log flooding, the respawn of a failling daemon too
fast is also a problem, it only eats cpu and logs... i can also open one bug
for this one if you want.

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