[bf1942] OT: /proc, top, ps broken in some linux kernels?

[Luca Fabbro]

I have the same problem running kernel 2.4.20 of a Slackware distro.
I've tried several machines XP1700+, XP1800+, XP2000+, XP2500+ and XP2800+ 
and also some PIII and P4. I noticed the same stange thing, some servers as 
for example MOHAA, COD, BF1942, BFV, HLDS won't show the real CPU usage 
while the machine has a low CPU load, other servers as Q3, SOF2, ET, JKO 
and JKA seem to show the real CPU usage.
A lot of server as you said show a 0% of cpu usage (also in proc) but they 
are really using more than 0 (of course). I've noticed that if the load of 
the machine reaches a certain value things stats to show up as they really 
are. I was running a server of COD of 18 players on an XP1700+, the cpu was 
usually 0% but of course it wasn't the truth. I've also turned on on that 
machine a Q3 server and had the following. When the q3 server was full the 
cpu usage of the COD server was the one supposed to be that was for full 
18/18 60% of cpu. 60% of COD plus around 25% of Q3 wich means 85% of load 
of the machine. It seems that for a strange mechanism the kernel is not 
able to identify the real CPU usage of certyain processes till the CPU is 
heavilly loaded :(
BF1942 and BFVietnam for example will show a very low cpu usage untill they 
start to be crowded, let's say at least 14 players, at this point I'll 
notice a probable CPU usage starting from 20-25% depending on the machine.

Luca

At 19.57 02/06/2004, you wrote:
>Unfortunately is appears that its the source data ( /proc )
>provided by the kernel which is in error. 2.6.5 kernel
>seems to have improved the situation but Im now very
>nervous about the reliability of the stats under linux.
>
>     Steve / K
>----- Original Message -----