In this article, we will discuss how to disable Tracker on Ubuntu 20.04 to fix the loud fan noise issue on Intel CPUs. This issue is often a result of excessive CPU consumption by the Tracker service, a file indexing and search tool in Ubuntu.
To fix the loud fan noise issue on Intel CPUs caused by excessive CPU consumption by the Tracker service on Ubuntu 20.04, you can disable Tracker by running a few commands in the terminal and editing the autostart files. Rebooting your system after making these changes should help reduce CPU consumption and eliminate the loud noise.
What is Tracker?
Tracker is a powerful tool that creates databases for the files in your system, allowing for faster search and retrieval. However, it can sometimes consume a lot of CPU resources, especially when indexing large files. This excessive CPU usage can cause the CPU fan to spin at higher speeds, resulting in a loud noise.
Disabling Tracker
The following steps will guide you on how to disable Tracker on Ubuntu 20.04.
Open Terminal
First, open a terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T. This will bring up the terminal window where you can input commands.
Disable Tracker Services
Next, we need to disable the Tracker services. Run the following commands:
systemctl --user mask tracker-miner-fs.service
systemctl --user mask tracker-store.serviceThe systemctl command is used to control the systemd system and service manager. The --user option allows us to run the command as a regular user. The mask option is used to prevent the service from being started by systemd.
Edit Autostart Files
Tracker services can also be started automatically when the system boots. To prevent this, we need to edit the autostart files. Run the following command to open the file for editing:
sudo nano /etc/xdg/autostart/tracker-miner-fs.desktopThe sudo command allows us to run the command with root privileges. nano is a command-line text editor, and /etc/xdg/autostart/tracker-miner-fs.desktop is the path to the autostart file for the tracker-miner-fs service.
In the opened file, add the line Hidden=true at the end. This will hide the service and prevent it from autostarting. Save the changes by pressing Ctrl+O and then exit the editor by pressing Ctrl+X.
Repeat the above step for the tracker-store.desktop file:
sudo nano /etc/xdg/autostart/tracker-store.desktopAgain, add the line Hidden=true at the end of the file, save the changes, and exit the editor.
Reboot Your System
Finally, reboot your system for the changes to take effect. You can do this by clicking on the power icon in the top-right corner of the screen and selecting ‘Restart’, or by running the following command in the terminal:
sudo rebootConclusion
By following the above steps, you should be able to disable Tracker on Ubuntu 20.04. This should help reduce CPU consumption and eliminate the loud noise caused by the Tracker processes. Remember, if you ever need to re-enable Tracker, you can do so by unmasking the services and removing the Hidden=true line from the autostart files. If you’re using a different version of Ubuntu or facing issues with the above steps, you can refer to the Ubuntu documentation for additional solutions and troubleshooting tips.
Yes, disabling Tracker on Ubuntu 20.04 will only affect the file indexing and search functionality provided by Tracker. Other system functionalities will remain unaffected.
Disabling Tracker can help improve the performance of your Ubuntu system, especially if you have a large number of files and experience excessive CPU consumption. By disabling Tracker, you can reduce CPU usage and eliminate the loud fan noise caused by the Tracker processes.
Yes, you can re-enable Tracker by unmasking the services and removing the Hidden=true line from the autostart files. This will allow Tracker to start automatically and provide its file indexing and search functionality again.
Yes, there are alternative file indexing and search tools available for Ubuntu, such as Baloo, Recoll, and Catfish. These tools can provide similar functionality to Tracker and can be used as alternatives if you prefer not to use Tracker or face any issues with it.
Yes, you can disable Tracker on other versions of Ubuntu using similar steps. However, the paths to the autostart files may vary, so you may need to refer to the documentation or search for specific instructions for your version of Ubuntu.
