I (finally) managed to find one of the sources for this problem. It looks like our "sotware-center.css" file causes some css that has a memory leak to be drawn.
To reproduce: - open a tool like htop and sort by memory usage - run software-center and scroll around the lobby - watch the htop RES column for software-center increase just from scrolling Note that this does not increase any python visible object count, just the RES data. When the software-center.css is disabled this stops leaking memory. I will try to build a stock Gtk test case next. ** Changed in: software-center (Ubuntu) Status: New => Confirmed ** Changed in: software-center (Ubuntu) Importance: Low => Medium -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Desktop Packages, which is subscribed to software-center in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1058523 Title: Software center page changes add between 2 and 6 meg to the memory size Status in “software-center” package in Ubuntu: Confirmed Bug description: Prep: Grab myutils from lp:~davmor2/+junk/testscripts From xpresser/xp_trial run import myutils Run it against software center with myutils.statinfo('software-center') Steps: 1. Open USC give it about 20secs it will level out at about 170 meg 2. Click on an app run myutils.statinfo('software-center') 3. Click on All Software and run myutils.statinfo('software-center') 4. Click on a different app and run myutils.statinfo('software-center') 5. Click on All Software and run myutils.statinfo('software-center') 6. Click on the same app again and run myutils.statinfo('software-center') My assumption is that the webkit display isn't dropping info once the page is no longer displayed. This is good for speed returning to a page but is drastically increasing the memory footprint of USC when searching through a selection of apps for a new user not familiar with the application names. ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10 Package: software-center 5.3.14.2 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-16.24-generic 3.5.4 Uname: Linux 3.5.0-16-generic x86_64 ApportVersion: 2.5.3-0ubuntu1 Architecture: amd64 Date: Sat Sep 29 09:37:21 2012 InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Beta amd64 (20120926) PackageArchitecture: all ProcEnviron: LANGUAGE=en_GB:en TERM=xterm PATH=(custom, no user) LANG=en_GB.UTF-8 SHELL=/bin/bash SourcePackage: software-center UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install) To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/software-center/+bug/1058523/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~desktop-packages Post to : desktop-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~desktop-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp