Skype eats all system memory (Linux)!

[lmnicolosi1]

Similar issue here - Ubuntu 64 - 10.10 & 11.04 - Skype 2.2.0.35 - System completely freezes randomly after some minutes of conversation w/ streaming video. Hard reset needed. Noticed a lot of processor usage, more than 75% on a Athlon dual core 4600+ (2.4GHz), but didn't notice high memory usage. Will try to check on the next chat. It's the only application that manages to crash my system. Didn't face this problem on previous versions (Skype & Ubuntu). The only reference to Skype in syslog is: "process `skype' is using obsolete setsockopt SO_BSDCOMPAT".

[SpideyBR]

That's a different problem altogether. Please, make another topic to discuss it, so we can avoid losing the focus on the problem reported here (high mem usage on first run after a cold boot).

[mekreder]

I'm experiencing this issue as well. Fedora 15 + skype 2.2.0.35

system hangs after skype starts for about 1 minute of so, then it died.

[Brutish_Sailor]

I would try capping your memlock and nice for the program.  Skype uses Real time kernal right?

$ sudo echo "@audio   -   rtprio   100" >> /etc/security/limits.conf
$ sudo echo "@audio   -   nice     -10" >> /etc/security/limits.conf

and maybe cap you Memlock as well.

I dont know exactly if this will work, but its worth a shot?

[Brutish_Sailor]

Well thats for Ubuntu, I'll see what it is for Fedora. I HATE RED HAT.

[Brutish_Sailor]

I know for Debian users it would be...

$ su echo "@audio   -   rtprio   100" >> /etc/security/limits.conf
$ su echo "@audio   -   nice     -10" >> /etc/security/limits.conf

[SpideyBR]

It seems that creating the ~/.Skype/Logs folder prevents the memory leak. I'm currently testing it and it's ok so far. Could everybody here test it too? I have a .log and a .trace.txt file for each day that Skype ran.

update: it doesn't solve the problem. My computer just soft-crashed (it became unresponsible for several seconds, used all memory than all swap, until skype crashed) after opening skype after a cold boot.

[wad4ever]

Same problem for me. Are there any solutions around here?

Is it just a coincidence that as soon as MicroSoft buys Skype, the linux client stops working? Someone please tell me they are not that evil...

[mekreder]

I am using skype-2.1.0.81-fc10.i586 were the issue is not present.

[KeepTriin]

Another user with the same problem here. From a cold boot, start skype and it consumes all of the available memory until it dies. A restart of skype after that is usually ok.

Running 2.6.35.14-97.fc14.i686 on an IBM W500 with 3GB RAM

(edit - oops meant to say that this is skype 2.2.0.35)

I've created and captured some logs, but they're unreadable. I did an strace of the skype when it started to capture the resources its using, but I don't have enough knowledge to understand them... So creating the Logs folder doesn't resolve the issue. Someone posted above that it might be related to the playback of the welcome through pulseAudio. I'm inclined to agree.