Under heavy disk I/O, the system becomes very unresponsive (i.e. even a drop 
down menu takes several seconds to open).
I've noticed this under 2.6.11-rc1-mm1 and 2.6.10-mm2, but I can try whatever 
version is suggested. The way to reproduce this is quite simple: I'm using 
gentoo, when emerge --sync rebuilds cache the systems slows like a crawl; the 
same behaviour can be seen during a updatedb operation. with top, bdflush is 
often stuck in "D" state, as well the I/O bound process (say, emerge or 
updatedb).
vmstat under load is the following, and config.gz attached. Of course I can 
provide any other needed detail; many thanks for any hint.


[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~ $ vmstat 1
procs -----------memory---------- ---swap-- -----io---- --system-- ----cpu----
 r  b   swpd   free   buff  cache   si   so    bi    bo   in    cs us sy id wa
 1  0    628   5252 499696 217712    0    0    19    14   80    60  3  1 95  1
 0  1    628  25764 498764 205384    0    0   444  1252 2121   943  7  6 48 39
 0  1    628  24412 498812 206628    0    0   596   948 2032  1634 11  5 58 27
 0  1    628  23584 498816 207372    0    0   380  2604 2045  1408  6  5 70 18
 0  1    628  23360 498816 207576    0    0    56  1528 1982   559  3  2 50 45
 0  1    628  22292 498820 208592    0    0   496   980 2092  1120 11  5 51 33
 0  1    628  20372 498856 210120    0    0   772  1504 2293  1621 21  9 49 21
 0  1    628  18964 498912 211356    0    0   620  1432 2170  1615 13  7 53 28
 0  1    628  18340 498920 211892    0    0   292  2924 2137   883  5  4 57 34
 0  0    628  17636 498956 212536    0    0   264   712 2018   954  5  3 65 28
 0  1    628  17316 498968 212796    0    0   148  1096 1983   607  2  3 51 44
 0  1    628  16356 499032 213548    0    0   416   952 2061  1417  7  3 58 32
 0  0    628  15708 499060 214132    0    0   256  1912 1993  1409  4  4 53 38
 1  0    628  14804 499068 214736    0    0   352  2644 2136  1475  7  4 72 16
 0  1    628  14548 499076 215136    0    0   196  1676 2046   526  4  2 49 45
 0  1    628  13972 499104 215856    0    0   384   816 2062  1033  9  4 51 37
 0  1    628  12916 499172 216808    0    0   504  1056 2135  1311 14  5 51 30
 0  1    628  12020 499236 217560    0    0   448  1044 2111  1280 17  5 51 27
 0  0    628  11380 499268 218072    0    0   256  2048 2039   838 10  4 62 24
 1  0    628  11060 499288 218392    0    0   156  2436 2043   832  7  4 83  5
 0  1    628  10612 499328 218692    0    0   124  2180 1899   442  5  2 50 44
 1  0    628  10292 499336 218888    0    0   104   368 1883   599  2  2 50 47
 0  1    628   8292 499384 220540    0    0   788  1536 2283  1524 18  8 49 27
 0  0    628   7652 499388 221080    0    0   276  2044 2039   796  5  4 69 22
 0  1    628   6948 499392 221688    0    0   288  2352 2086   783  6  4 52 38
 1  0    628   6308 499396 222228    0    0   256   356 2008   797  7  3 50 41
 1  0    628   5024 499404 223104    0    0   476  1012 2092   983 13  5 49 32
 0  1    628   9848 498300 223936    0    0   420  1096 2075  1243  8  4 53 34
 0  1    628   9344 498312 224400    0    0   236  3744 2097  1181  5  4 73 19

To be honest I can't say when this started, I've installed gentoo and seen 
emerge --sync load only with 2.6.10-mm2

system: P4 IV 2.8/1Gb ram/i875p MB (abit IC7-g)
ide:  
hda: MAXTOR 6L060J3
hdc: TEAC DV-W58G 
scsi/Sata:
PLEXTOR         CD-ROM PX-40TS          1.01
YAMAHA          CRW6416S                1.0c
ATA             Maxtor 6Y160M0          YAR5

lspci -v:
kefk ide # lspci -v
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82875P/E7210 Memory Controller Hub (rev 
02)
        Subsystem: ABIT Computer Corp.: Unknown device 1014
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Memory at d0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable)
        Capabilities: [e4] #09 [2106]
        Capabilities: [a0] AGP version 3.0

0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82875P Processor to AGP Controller (rev 
02) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
        Flags: bus master, 66Mhz, fast devsel, latency 64
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=32
        Memory behind bridge: f0000000-f1ffffff
        Prefetchable memory behind bridge: e8000000-efffffff

0000:00:03.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82875P/E7210 Processor to PCI to CSA 
Bridge (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
        Flags: bus master, 66Mhz, fast devsel, latency 32
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=02, subordinate=02, sec-latency=0
        I/O behind bridge: 00009000-00009fff
        Memory behind bridge: f2000000-f20fffff
        Expansion ROM at 00009000 [disabled] [size=4K]

0000:00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI 
Controller #1 (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
        Subsystem: ABIT Computer Corp.: Unknown device 1014
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 193
        I/O ports at bc00 [size=32]

0000:00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI 
Controller #2 (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
        Subsystem: ABIT Computer Corp.: Unknown device 1014
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 201
        I/O ports at b000 [size=32]

0000:00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI #3 
(rev 02) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
        Subsystem: ABIT Computer Corp.: Unknown device 1014
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 169
        I/O ports at b400 [size=32]

0000:00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI 
Controller #4 (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
        Subsystem: ABIT Computer Corp.: Unknown device 1014
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 193
        I/O ports at b800 [size=32]

0000:00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB2 EHCI 
Controller (rev 02) (prog-if 20 [EHCI])
        Subsystem: ABIT Computer Corp.: Unknown device 1014
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 185
        Memory at f2200000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable)
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [58] #0a [20a0]

0000:00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801 PCI Bridge (rev c2) (prog-if 00 
[Normal decode])
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=03, subordinate=03, sec-latency=32
        I/O behind bridge: 0000a000-0000afff
        Memory behind bridge: f2100000-f21fffff

0000:00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) LPC Interface 
Bridge (rev 02)
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0

0000:00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) IDE Controller 
(rev 02) (prog-if 8a [Master SecP PriP])
        Subsystem: ABIT Computer Corp.: Unknown device 1014
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 169
        I/O ports at <unassigned>
        I/O ports at <unassigned>
        I/O ports at <unassigned>
        I/O ports at <unassigned>
        I/O ports at f000 [size=16]
        Memory at 40000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1K]

0000:00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801EB (ICH5) SATA Controller (rev 
02) (prog-if 8f [Master SecP SecO PriP PriO])
        Subsystem: ABIT Computer Corp.: Unknown device 1014
        Flags: bus master, 66Mhz, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 169
        I/O ports at c000
        I/O ports at c400 [size=4]
        I/O ports at c800 [size=8]
        I/O ports at cc00 [size=4]
        I/O ports at d000 [size=16]

0000:00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) SMBus Controller (rev 
02)
        Subsystem: ABIT Computer Corp.: Unknown device 1014
        Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 9
        I/O ports at 0500 [size=32]

0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV34 [GeForce FX 
5200] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA])
        Subsystem: Unknown device 1682:1280
        Flags: bus master, 66Mhz, medium devsel, latency 248, IRQ 193
        Memory at f0000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable)
        Memory at e8000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]
        Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [44] AGP version 3.0

0000:02:01.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82547EI Gigabit Ethernet 
Controller (LOM)
        Subsystem: ABIT Computer Corp.: Unknown device 1014
        Flags: bus master, 66Mhz, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 169
        Memory at f2000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable)
        I/O ports at 9000 [size=32]
        Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2

0000:03:04.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Audigy (rev 04)
        Subsystem: Creative Labs SB Audigy 2 ZS (SB0350)
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 209
        I/O ports at a000
        Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2

0000:03:04.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Audigy MIDI/Game port 
(rev 04)
        Subsystem: Creative Labs SB Audigy MIDI/Game Port
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32
        I/O ports at a400
        Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2

0000:03:04.2 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Creative Labs SB Audigy FireWire Port (rev 
04) (prog-if 10 [OHCI])
        Subsystem: Creative Labs SB Audigy FireWire Port
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 5
        Memory at f2104000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable)
        Memory at f2100000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: [44] Power Management version 2

0000:03:06.0 SCSI storage controller: Adaptec AHA-7850 (rev 03)
        Subsystem: Adaptec AHA-2904/Integrated AIC-7850
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 177
        I/O ports at a800 [disabled]
        Memory at f2105000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 1



-- 
Fabio Coatti       http://members.ferrara.linux.it/cova     
Ferrara Linux Users Group           http://ferrara.linux.it
GnuPG fp:9765 A5B6 6843 17BC A646  BE8C FA56 373A 5374 C703
Old SysOps never die... they simply forget their password.

Attachment: config.gz
Description: GNU Zip compressed data

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