Bug 179652 – Browsers that use WebkitGTK use a lot of CPU resources while a Facebook tab is open.

• Status: RESOLVED
• Resolution: MOVED
• Component: WebKitGTK

[Ryan Farmer]

I've noticed that while using GNOME Web that whenever I have a Facebook tab open, the Webkit process takes up a lot of CPU time and the fan on my laptop spins up. This doesn't happen on Firefox or Chromium. 

I have no idea what causes this. Could be that Facebook is just loading a ton of resources and Firefox and Chrome have some sort of rate limit to keep your laptop from taking off and flying around the room? 

Is there a way that WebkitGTK can fix it on that end? I doubt that Facebook is ever going to be nice and quit bloating their website, which currently swells up tabs on browsers with Facebook loaded to something like 400-500 MB of RAM or more.

[Ryan Farmer]

Actually, I probably should have tried this before posting this report, but it seems like disabling the ad blocker in GNOME Web calms things down considerably, so this could be a problem at the browser level. I guess it threw me because it was sending the Webkit process CPU usage through the roof. 

I'm using Private Internet Access's official VPN app with the MACE feature, so I really don't need to depend on Web for my ad blocking anyway, since PIA blocks most of the web nasties before it ever hits my browser. 

Probably the ad blocker in the browser needs fixed, but I understand there are still plans to switch over to Webkit's Content Blocker eventually (hopefully soon).

[Michael Catanzaro]

(In reply to Ryan Farmer from comment #1)
> Actually, I probably should have tried this before posting this report, but
> it seems like disabling the ad blocker in GNOME Web calms things down
> considerably, so this could be a problem at the browser level. I guess it
> threw me because it was sending the Webkit process CPU usage through the
> roof. 

OK, can you report it on GNOME Bugzilla, then?

> Probably the ad blocker in the browser needs fixed, but I understand there
> are still plans to switch over to Webkit's Content Blocker eventually
> (hopefully soon).

"Hopefully soon" has been the plan for years now, I'm afraid.