gnome freezes with high CPU use of gnome-shell (JS ERROR)

Question

Every now and then my gnome session freezes completely with gnome-shell using 100% CPU. The only thing I could do so far was to switch to a virtual terminal and kill gnome-shell. After that the gnome session came alive again. Any suggestion how I could avoid this problem?

My system is: Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS (up to date)

In syslog I find the following error message for the date/time of the freeze:

[date/time] some-ubuntu gnome-shell[1902]: JS ERROR: Exception in callback for signal: child-added: InternalError: too much recursion#012_init@resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/popupMenu.js:946:9#012wrapper@resource:///org/gnome/gjs/modules/_legacy.js:82:22#012_Base.prototype._construct@resource:///org/gnome/gjs/modules/_legacy.js:18:5#012Class.prototype._construct/newClass@resource:///org/gnome/gjs/modules/_legacy.js:114:32#012_init@resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/popupMenu.js:1128:21#012wrapper@resource:///org/gnome/gjs/modules/_legacy.js:82:22#012_Base.prototype._construct@resource:///org/gnome/gjs/modules/_legacy.js:18:5#012Class.prototype._construct/newClass@resource:///org/gnome/gjs/modules/_legacy.js:114:32#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:453:29#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactory.createItem@/usr/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com/dbusMenu.js:479:44#012MenuItemFactor

Try disabling the gnome extensions, as shown in [https://askubuntu.com/a/1029385/283721](https://askubuntu.com/a/1029385/283721) — Charles Green, Feb 10 '19 at 16:01
I did as you suggested, unfortunately the problem reappeared. — newtothis, Feb 12 '19 at 23:11
Was there any answer to this in the end, please? I'm seeing it now! 18.04.4 LTS. Wonder if it was this: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-shell/+bug/1834583 — SusanW, Jul 03 '20 at 14:00

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 20 '20 at 08:00

journalctl

Hack until better comes along. Disable logging to systemd.

FileName='/etc/systemd/journald.conf'
FindLine='#RateLimitIntervalSec='
ReplaceWith='#RateLimitIntervalSec=0s'
sudo sed -i "/$FindLine/c\$ReplaceWith" $FileName

FileName='/etc/systemd/journald.conf'
FindLine='#RateLimitBurst='
ReplaceWith='RateLimitBurst=0'
sudo sed -i "/$FindLine/c\$ReplaceWith" $FileName

gnome freezes with high CPU use of gnome-shell (JS ERROR)

1 Answers1