kernel_task downloading something

The Older Gentleman

unread,

May 30, 2014, 1:25:40 PM5/30/14

to

What is this doing? Any idea?

It suddenly spikes and starts downloading a huge amount of...

...something.

It's doing it when the computer's asleep. Also on an Macbook Pro 2011
model, running Mavericks.

This desktop is running 10.9.2. It's a late 2013 27" iMac, 3.2 GHz
Intel Core 15, and 16GB of RAM.

Screenshot here:

http://www.neil_murray.fastmail.fm.user.fm/Activitymonitorscreenshot.png

What's going on?

--
Honda CB750F2 CB400 Four CB250 CB125Sx2 CG125 Triumph Street
Triple Guzzi California Yamaha 660 Tenere Suzuki TS250ERx3
More garages needed....
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com

Chris Ridd

unread,

May 30, 2014, 2:17:15 PM5/30/14

to

On 2014-05-30 17:25:40 +0000, The Older Gentleman said:

> What is this doing? Any idea?
>
> It suddenly spikes and starts downloading a huge amount of...
>
> ...something.
>
> It's doing it when the computer's asleep. Also on an Macbook Pro 2011
> model, running Mavericks.
>
> This desktop is running 10.9.2. It's a late 2013 27" iMac, 3.2 GHz
> Intel Core 15, and 16GB of RAM.
>
> Screenshot here:
>
> http://www.neil_murray.fastmail.fm.user.fm/Activitymonitorscreenshot.png
>
> What's going on?

Software updates. Only certain models can do this but you can turn it
off if you want in system preferences.
--
Chris

Message has been deleted

Chris Ridd

unread,

May 30, 2014, 2:48:15 PM5/30/14

to

On 2014-05-30 18:44:37 +0000, Tim Streater said:

> In article <lmahvb$e18$1...@dont-email.me>, Chris Ridd <chri...@mac.com>

> wrote:
>
>> Software updates. Only certain models can do this but you can turn it
>> off if you want in system preferences.
>

> Why is that the kernel task rather than an ordinary process?

I would guess that the kernel is running in some strange low power mode
where user processes aren't able to run.
--
Chris

The Older Gentleman

unread,

May 30, 2014, 3:34:03 PM5/30/14

to

Ta. Done.

Andy

unread,

May 31, 2014, 7:45:50 AM5/31/14

to

The Older Gentleman <totallyde...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> Chris Ridd <chri...@mac.com> wrote:
>
> > On 2014-05-30 17:25:40 +0000, The Older Gentleman said:
> >
> > > What is this doing? Any idea?
> > >
> > > It suddenly spikes and starts downloading a huge amount of...
> > >
> > > ...something.
> > >
> > > It's doing it when the computer's asleep. Also on an Macbook Pro 2011
> > > model, running Mavericks.
> > >
> > > This desktop is running 10.9.2. It's a late 2013 27" iMac, 3.2 GHz
> > > Intel Core 15, and 16GB of RAM.
> > >
> > > Screenshot here:
> > >
> > > http://www.neil_murray.fastmail.fm.user.fm/Activitymonitorscreenshot.png
> > >
> > > What's going on?
> >
> > Software updates. Only certain models can do this but you can turn it
> > off if you want in system preferences.
>
> Ta. Done.

There's also the 'Enable Power Nap' option in the Energy Saver
preference pane, which enables such things to happen while the computer
is asleep - not sure if it's enabled on a MacBook, but it's there on my
iMac.

--
Andy Hewitt
<http://andy-hewitt.me.uk>

Message has been deleted

Chris Ridd

unread,

May 31, 2014, 11:51:47 AM5/31/14

to

On 2014-05-31 13:44:03 +0000, Tim Streater said:

> Hmm. My 2011 Mini doesn't have that.

The 2012 Mini does, according to http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5394

As to what enables Power Nap on a particular model, there are some
guesses at
http://www.macworld.com/article/1167970/up_close_with_mountain_lion_power_nap.html
which may or may not be right. Intel GPU + particular CPU models maybe?
--
Chris

Message has been deleted

Paul Sture

unread,

May 31, 2014, 2:15:01 PM5/31/14

to

On 2014-05-31, Tim Streater <timst...@greenbee.net> wrote:
> In article <1lmigq7.1d9dfmp15omnqiN%thewil...@me.com>, Andy

><thewil...@me.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> There's also the 'Enable Power Nap' option in the Energy Saver
>> preference pane, which enables such things to happen while the computer
>> is asleep - not sure if it's enabled on a MacBook, but it's there on my
>> iMac.
>

> Hmm. My 2011 Mini doesn't have that.

Neither does mine, but the 2012 model Mac mini I recently bought does have it.

--
Paul Sture

The final step of #heartbleed recovery is to call your mother, and advise
her to change her maiden name -- @gojomo

Andy

unread,

Jun 1, 2014, 1:58:02 AM6/1/14

to

Tim Streater <timst...@greenbee.net> wrote:

> In article <lmctqk$j44$1...@dont-email.me>, Chris Ridd <chri...@mac.com>

> wrote:
>
> > On 2014-05-31 13:44:03 +0000, Tim Streater said:
> >
> > > Hmm. My 2011 Mini doesn't have that.
> >
> > The 2012 Mini does, according to http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5394
>
>

> Roger that, Houston, ta.

That explains mine then, I have a Late 2013 iMac 27".

Peter Ceresole

unread,

Jun 1, 2014, 6:18:26 AM6/1/14

to

Chris Ridd <chri...@mac.com> wrote:

> > This desktop is running 10.9.2. It's a late 2013 27" iMac, 3.2 GHz
> > Intel Core 15, and 16GB of RAM.
> >
> > Screenshot here:
> >
> > http://www.neil_murray.fastmail.fm.user.fm/Activitymonitorscreenshot.png
> >
> > What's going on?
>
> Software updates. Only certain models can do this but you can turn it
> off if you want in system preferences.

Well *this* desktop just presented me with iTunes 11.2.2 (3) which had
downloaded I'm not sure when- this in 10.6.8. I never noticed anything
happening in the background, didn't realise that 10.6.8 did this trick-
only seems to do it from time to time. For instance the last iTunes
update came via me interrogating Software Update.
--
Peter

Chris Ridd

unread,

Jun 1, 2014, 7:17:31 AM6/1/14

to

The new feature is "Power Nap", which lets the Mac download the updates
(and do a limited set of other things) when it is asleep.
--
Chris

Peter Ceresole

unread,

Jun 1, 2014, 6:03:58 PM6/1/14

to

Chris Ridd <chri...@mac.com> wrote:

> The new feature is "Power Nap", which lets the Mac download the updates
> (and do a limited set of other things) when it is asleep.

And of course Power Nap doesn't exist in 10.6.8, so presumably the
download happened in the background while the iMac was awake. I don't
have the world's fastest ADSL connection (5+Mbps) but I never saw any
obvious performance hit- so the download must have happened at trickle
speeds (cleverly variable?).
Are there any known rules about what's automagically delivered like
this, and what isn't?
--
Peter

skym...@gmail.com

unread,

Jun 28, 2015, 3:54:33 PM6/28/15

to

Most likely, it's a Time Machine backup to a remote disk, like a Time Capsule. Check if Time Machine is running, and is currently making a backup.

Updates via the App Store go through the 'storedownloadd' process, which is different than 'kerneltask'.

skym...@gmail.com

unread,

Jun 28, 2015, 3:57:10 PM6/28/15

to

Most likely, it's a Time Machine backup. Check if Time Machine is backing up at the same time, and 'Skip Backup' to see if that stops it.

App Store app and system updates aren't via the 'kerneltask' process. They are through the 'storedownloadd'.