I had a similar problem. So I came across this bug report. Stats during apt-cache search:
[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 0 0 17000 219984 400 48620 0 74 121 78 309 163 8 2 86 4 0 0 17000 219976 400 48620 0 0 0 0 399 240 1 0 99 0 0 1 17000 218904 444 49584 0 0 902 0 421 162 1 1 58 40 1 0 17000 55500 460 50208 0 0 632 0 293 54 58 34 0 8 1 0 56704 4324 92 5440 0 39344 42 39386 355 128 36 52 0 12 0 2 69400 4620 96 5560 0 12696 124 12696 393 212 7 9 0 84 1 3 83876 3808 108 5728 0 14476 176 14476 352 259 5 9 0 86 1 3 97424 3672 116 5976 0 13548 260 13548 428 246 6 8 0 86 2 5 104364 3860 96 6100 0 7280 344 7280 411 265 3 9 0 88 0 3 104364 3880 96 5940 0 0 104 0 395 277 5 10 0 85 0 1 104364 4344 120 6476 0 0 625 0 427 75 1 1 0 98 0 2 104364 3756 264 17276 0 0 12129 0 573 288 0 15 0 85 0 2 104364 3816 364 16948 0 0 7097 0 556 359 18 5 0 77 0 3 104364 3560 440 17096 0 0 6602 12 455 365 3 3 0 94 1 2 104364 3616 292 17216 0 0 2105 0 361 189 2 1 0 97 0 1 132072 5508 96 16136 0 27712 1626 27712 343 143 2 14 0 84 0 1 132072 5660 96 16200 0 0 64 0 344 29 0 0 0 100 0 1 132072 4532 140 18892 0 0 2703 0 440 175 3 2 0 95 0 2 132064 4052 296 28904 96 0 10147 0 618 518 14 5 0 81 0 3 131984 4696 404 34184 352 0 5665 0 490 330 4 3 0 93 1 1 131916 4580 508 40896 160 0 6843 0 539 337 2 5 0 93 procs -----------memory---------- ---swap-- -----io---- --system-- ----cpu---- r b swpd free buff cache si so bi bo in cs us sy id wa 1 3 132072 3620 576 44316 32 168 4468 168 482 249 1 2 0 97 0 3 132072 3984 592 44012 32 4 1256 4 309 151 1 0 0 99 1 4 132072 3732 620 44212 0 0 2016 0 465 246 1 2 0 98 0 3 132072 3560 652 44292 0 0 1916 0 332 170 2 0 0 98 0 3 132072 3868 692 44056 0 4 2450 4 490 249 1 2 0 97 0 2 132072 3544 580 44600 0 0 1213 0 334 151 0 0 0 100 0 0 45256 250712 600 45056 0 0 1694 0 354 113 1 8 59 32 0 0 45256 250772 600 45056 0 0 0 0 274 29 0 0 100 0 0 0 45256 250772 600 45056 0 0 0 0 273 29 0 0 100 0 0 0 45256 250788 600 45056 0 0 0 0 274 31 0 0 100 0 Then I said: $ sudo apt-cache gencaches ...and the problem seemed to go away; no longer swapping (and very fast too, harder to capture it, vmstat 1 is way too lost now :-)): [EMAIL PROTECTED]:~$ while [ : ]; do ps aux | grep "apt-cach[e]" ; done ijjarvin 4699 0.0 10.0 71552 32148 pts/3 R+ 20:55 0:00 apt-cache search dfdsafsdafsd sdafdsafsdaf ijjarvin 4699 0.0 10.0 71552 32148 pts/3 R+ 20:55 0:00 apt-cache search dfdsafsdafsd sdafdsafsdaf ijjarvin 4699 0.0 10.9 71552 34936 pts/3 R+ 20:55 0:00 apt-cache search dfdsafsdafsd sdafdsafsdaf ijjarvin 4699 0.0 12.5 71552 40244 pts/3 R+ 20:55 0:01 apt-cache search dfdsafsdafsd sdafdsafsdaf [EMAIL PROTECTED]:~$ -- i. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
