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barbarian · Feb 12, 2004, 01:26 AM

My internal drives started writing frequently for no apparent reason (even when nothing is going on). Is there a way to track exactly what process is running the drive at a specific time.

Art Vandelay · Feb 12, 2004, 01:29 AM

In Terminal:

sudo fs_usage -e

barbarian · Feb 12, 2004, 03:04 AM

Thanks a million... great hint. I found I had an out of control fontcard process...

as a sidenote does this look normal snippet for an idle machine (only the terminal is doing anything):

Code:
23:01:40.619  read            F=11   B=0x4a	0.000208 W Terminal            
23:01:40.622  read            F=11   B=0xb70.000020   Terminal            
23:01:40.637  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000016   WindowServer        
23:01:40.638  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000006   WindowServer        
23:01:40.645  read            F=11   B=0xb70.022202 W Terminal            
23:01:40.646  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000012   Terminal            
23:01:40.647  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000018   Terminal            
23:01:40.648  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000014   Terminal            
23:01:40.648  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000016   Terminal            
23:01:40.649  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000014   Terminal            
23:01:40.649  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000014   Terminal            
23:01:40.650  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000014   Terminal            
23:01:40.650  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000015   Terminal            
23:01:40.651  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000015   Terminal            
23:01:40.651  read            F=11   B=0x15f0.000012   Terminal            
23:01:40.657  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000016   WindowServer        
23:01:40.676  read            F=11   B=0xb70.024573 W Terminal            
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000016   WindowServer        
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000004   WindowServer        
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000004   WindowServer        
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000004   WindowServer        
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000004   WindowServer        
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000004   WindowServer        
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000004   WindowServer        
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000004   WindowServer        
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000004   WindowServer        
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000004   WindowServer        
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000004   WindowServer        
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000004   WindowServer        
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000004   WindowServer        
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000004   WindowServer        
23:01:40.689  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000004   WindowServer        
23:01:40.713  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000021   Terminal            
23:01:40.714  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000020   Terminal            
23:01:40.715  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000014   Terminal            
23:01:40.716  read            F=11   B=0x1e30.000013   Terminal            
23:01:40.721  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000017   WindowServer        
23:01:40.722  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000005   WindowServer        
23:01:40.738  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000016   WindowServer        
23:01:40.739  CACHE_HIT       A=0x036fa000 0.000019   Adobe Photoshop CS  
23:01:40.740  CACHE_HIT       A=0x036fa000 0.000004   Adobe Photoshop CS  
23:01:40.740  getattrlist /.vol/234881037/100124 0.000077   Adobe Photoshop CS  
23:01:40.741  read            F=11   B=0xb70.024454 W Terminal            
23:01:40.745  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000020   Terminal            
23:01:40.746  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000018   Terminal            
23:01:40.746  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000013   Terminal            
23:01:40.747  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000015   Terminal            
23:01:40.748  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000014   Terminal            
23:01:40.748  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000015   Terminal            
23:01:40.749  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000014   Terminal            
23:01:40.749  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000016   Terminal            
23:01:40.750  read            F=11   B=0x1ef0.000017   Terminal            
23:01:40.771  CACHE_HIT       A=0x264b9000 0.000017   WindowServer        
23:01:40.774  read            F=11   B=0xb70.024057 W Terminal            
23:01:40.775  select                 S=0   1.000023 W cupsd               
23:01:40.775  select                 S=0   1.000048 W httpd               
23:01:40.776  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000020   Terminal            
23:01:40.777  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000019   Terminal            
23:01:40.778  read            F=11   B=0x1fe0.000015   Terminal            
23:01:40.781  CACHE_HIT       A=0x01704000 0.000044   iChat               
23:01:40.781  CACHE_HIT       A=0x01704000

suthercd · Feb 12, 2004, 08:50 AM

See if quitting iChat diminishes the drive accessing.

Do you have any non standard pref panes, etc?

Craig

Terri · Feb 12, 2004, 09:16 AM

Originally posted by Art Vandelay:
In Terminal:

sudo fs_usage -e

Nice tip

How does one quit out of fs_usage? I tried hitting Q but that doesn't seem to work. I used control z to stop it, but I had to then open Activity viewer to quit fs_usage and quit it there.

warpmoon · Feb 12, 2004, 10:47 AM

"ctrl - c" is the standard command for terminating processes.

"ctrl - z" will suspend it. (as in pause)

Terri · Feb 12, 2004, 10:50 AM

Originally posted by warpmoon:
"ctrl - c" is the standard command for terminating processes.

"ctrl - z" will suspend it. (as in pause)

Thanks

Strange hitting just the letter q in top quits that so I thought that would work in the above also.

Bit by bit I'm learning terminal and loving it.