Spun off from Macbook Pro Late 2012 \ A1425 Model kernel_task
Background
I have, for test purposes, a MacBookPro8,2 – MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2011).
MacBook Pro Repair Extension Program for Video Issues – in July 2015 the logic board was replaced by a reputable service provider, and since then I have rarely touched the Mac.
Also in July, it was realised that the battery had failed and was expanding, so it was removed. Whilst I test things, there's no rush to purchase a replacement battery.
Tests included installations of PC-BSD.
Sometimes neither the integral keyboard nor the integral trackpad is recognised (when this happens, USB keyboards and mice work fine). I wonder whether that's a side effect of attempting to boot, without a battery, after very long periods with no power (and the clock is sometimes wrong at startup after those periods). I wonder … but those symptoms don't bother me; they're not yet a focus area.
A week or so ago I performed Internet Recovery then, from Mac OS X Lion (10.7.x) an upgrade to OS X 10.11.1. Very little third party software – Mozilla Firefox, MacPorts and so on; nothing exotic.
On 2015-11-08 whilst using MacPorts to install GNOME Web (epiphany) and its dependencies, Activity Monitor often presented unrealistic measurements of the amounts of CPU used by kernel_task – 3,171.4 percent, for example.
If I recall correctly, installation of dependencies was interrupted by disturbance to the MagSafe connection.
The focus of this topic – the problem
At some point after I resumed installation of epiphany and its dependencies, Activity Monitor presented realistic measurements of inexplicably high use of the CPU by kernel_task. So high that it took more than three days to perform the installation.
The inexplicably high use:
The possibility of a problem with hardware
On one occasion, with 10.11.1 neither OS X nor Recovery OS would start. During each start, an automated restart. Stuck in loops, of sorts. I did wonder whether both kernels were panicking, but the patterns of behaviour (including some verbose boots) made me suspect otherwise. When, eventually, OS X started normally I didn't seek a .panic file because I had reset NVRAM (more than once).
Of interest
CPU load constantly 100% MBP 13 inch Mid 2012 (2015-11-09), in particular:
No spills in my case.
I wonder whether the sense of absence of the battery is the trigger, but it's remarkable that the high use occurs only sometimes.
Of possible interest
The subject lines caught my eye, but I have not yet read the topics …
Background
I have, for test purposes, a MacBookPro8,2 – MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2011).
MacBook Pro Repair Extension Program for Video Issues – in July 2015 the logic board was replaced by a reputable service provider, and since then I have rarely touched the Mac.
Also in July, it was realised that the battery had failed and was expanding, so it was removed. Whilst I test things, there's no rush to purchase a replacement battery.
Tests included installations of PC-BSD.
Sometimes neither the integral keyboard nor the integral trackpad is recognised (when this happens, USB keyboards and mice work fine). I wonder whether that's a side effect of attempting to boot, without a battery, after very long periods with no power (and the clock is sometimes wrong at startup after those periods). I wonder … but those symptoms don't bother me; they're not yet a focus area.
A week or so ago I performed Internet Recovery then, from Mac OS X Lion (10.7.x) an upgrade to OS X 10.11.1. Very little third party software – Mozilla Firefox, MacPorts and so on; nothing exotic.
On 2015-11-08 whilst using MacPorts to install GNOME Web (epiphany) and its dependencies, Activity Monitor often presented unrealistic measurements of the amounts of CPU used by kernel_task – 3,171.4 percent, for example.
If I recall correctly, installation of dependencies was interrupted by disturbance to the MagSafe connection.
The focus of this topic – the problem
At some point after I resumed installation of epiphany and its dependencies, Activity Monitor presented realistic measurements of inexplicably high use of the CPU by kernel_task. So high that it took more than three days to perform the installation.
The inexplicably high use:
- persisted long after use of MacPorts
- did not recur with a safe boot
- recurred after the safe boot.
The possibility of a problem with hardware
On one occasion, with 10.11.1 neither OS X nor Recovery OS would start. During each start, an automated restart. Stuck in loops, of sorts. I did wonder whether both kernels were panicking, but the patterns of behaviour (including some verbose boots) made me suspect otherwise. When, eventually, OS X started normally I didn't seek a .panic file because I had reset NVRAM (more than once).
Of interest
CPU load constantly 100% MBP 13 inch Mid 2012 (2015-11-09), in particular:
No spills in my case.
I wonder whether the sense of absence of the battery is the trigger, but it's remarkable that the high use occurs only sometimes.
Of possible interest
The subject lines caught my eye, but I have not yet read the topics …
- Kernel Task = >500% CPU Usage, and Fans won't turn off! @forumz
- Kernel task uses >800% of CPU - MBP is useless now. @megaRa24
- Yesterday I Upgraded to Mavericks and downloaded Garageband now Kernel Task is 300% @Rambo66
- BRAND NEW ReTina BOARD 2.7GHZ Core i7 "KERNEL TASK 600%" @Nasty275ss
- Kernel Task - 670% of CPU HELP!
@NoClueWhat2Do - MBP2010 kernel_task CPU hog: how to debug/fix @nap.
- New Macbook Pro w/high kernel task? @Tron72
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