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Limit CPU and Memory to Firefox and chrome web-browser on a Linux desktop

Ramesh Sahoo
5 min readMar 3, 2022
Limit CPU and Memory to Firefox and chrome on a Linux desktop

Google Chrome and Firefox web browsers make extensive use of Memory and CPU utilization when multiple tabs are opened. It is not possible to limit ourselves to a certain number of tabs but we can limit the resource utilization for these browsers diligently and to make sure they don’t cross the assigned limit.

Using systemd’s transient scope units one can allocate a certain amount of memory and CPU shares to Firefox and chrome web-browser applications. systemd’s transient Units are only allowed for a super user(root) hence the need is to first allow the user or group that wants this feature.

Add the following polkit rule in /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/60-systemd-manage.rules file. The following rule makes sure that the user ‘test’ is allowed to start systdmd Units. Change the username of your choice.

polkit.addRule(function(action, subject) {
    if (action.id == "org.freedesktop.systemd1.manage-units" &&
        subject.user == "test") {
            return polkit.Result.YES;
    }
});

Alternatively, a group of users can be granted the same privileges through the same rule with just a little modification. Make sure the user is part of the ‘admin’ group.

polkit.addRule(function(action, subject) {
    if (action.id == "org.freedesktop.systemd1.manage-units" &&
        subject.isInGroup("admin")) {
            return polkit.Result.YES;
    }
});

Now login to the test user account and validate if the user can start and stop systemd services.

$ systemctl restart sshd
  [test@localhost ~]$ systemd-run --scope sleep 30
    Running scope as unit run-2845.scope.

Now modify the Gnome Launcher file of firefox or chrome from /usr/share/applications directory. Modify the Exec parameter as below to set 5G Memory limit and give 200 CPU cycles limit for to firefox and chrome. Generally 1024 CPU cycles is equivalent to 1 CPU. Giving 2048 CPU cycles would allow chrome and Firefox to use two CPUs if required.

Firefox: /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop From:
  Exec=/home/test/firefox/firefox %u

  To:
   Exec=systemd-run --scope -p CPUShares=200 -p MemoryLimit=5G /home/test/firefox/firefox %u
Chrome: /usr/share/applications/google-chrome.desktopFrom:
#Exec=/usr/bin/google-chrome-stable %U

To:
Exec=systemd-run --scope -p CPUShares=200 -p MemoryLimit=5G /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable %U
Exec=systemd-run --scope -p CPUShares=200 -p MemoryLimit=5G /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable
Exec=systemd-run --scope -p CPUShares=200 -p MemoryLimit=5G /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable --incognito

Now logout from the gnome session and then re-login to validate the feature.

Test Result

⌊~⌋»# systemctl list-units --type scope
UNIT                                                                          LOAD   ACTIVE SUB     DESCRIPTION
run-14110.scope                                                               loaded active running /home/test/firefox/firefox
run-7265.scope                                                                loaded active running /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable


⌊~⌋»# systemctl status run-14110.scope 
● run-14110.scope - /home/test/firefox/firefox
   Loaded: loaded (/run/systemd/system/run-14110.scope; static; vendor preset: disabled)
  Drop-In: /run/systemd/system/run-14110.scope.d
           └─50-CPUShares.conf, 50-Description.conf, 50-MemoryLimit.conf
   Active: active (running) since Wed 2022-03-02 23:22:17 IST; 1min 4s ago
    Tasks: 220
   Memory: 455.4M (limit: 5.0G)
   CGroup: /system.slice/run-14110.scope
           ├─14110 /home/test/firefox/firefox
           ├─14199 /home/test/firefox/firefox-bin -contentproc -parentBuildID 20220216172458 -prefsLen 1 -prefMapSize 258917 -appDir /home/test/firefox/browser 14110 true socket
           ├─14231 /home/test/firefox/firefox-bin -contentproc -childID 1 -isForBrowser -prefsLen 65 -prefMapSize 258917 -jsInitLen 279340 -parentBuildID 20220216172458 -appDir /home/test/firefox/browser ...
           ├─14281 /home/test/firefox/firefox-bin -contentproc -childID 2 -isForBrowser -prefsLen 4947 -prefMapSize 258917 -jsInitLen 279340 -parentBuildID 20220216172458 -appDir /home/test/firefox/browse...
           ├─14344 /home/test/firefox/firefox-bin -contentproc -childID 3 -isForBrowser -prefsLen 5669 -prefMapSize 258917 -jsInitLen 279340 -parentBuildID 20220216172458 -appDir /home/test/firefox/browse...
           ├─14346 /home/test/firefox/firefox-bin -contentproc -childID 4 -isForBrowser -prefsLen 5669 -prefMapSize 258917 -jsInitLen 279340 -parentBuildID 20220216172458 -appDir /home/test/firefox/browse...
           └─14361 /home/test/firefox/firefox-bin -contentproc -childID 5 -isForBrowser -prefsLen 5669 -prefMapSize 258917 -jsInitLen 279340 -parentBuildID 20220216172458 -appDir /home/test/firefox/browse...


⌊~⌋»# systemctl status run-7265.scope
● run-7265.scope - /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable
   Loaded: loaded (/run/systemd/system/run-7265.scope; static; vendor preset: disabled)
  Drop-In: /run/systemd/system/run-7265.scope.d
           └─50-CPUShares.conf, 50-Description.conf, 50-MemoryLimit.conf
   Active: active (running) since Wed 2022-03-02 18:36:24 IST; 4h 47min ago
    Tasks: 245
   Memory: 1.1G (limit: 5.0G)
   CGroup: /system.slice/run-7265.scope
           ├─ 7265 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --enable-crashpad
           ├─ 7273 cat
           ├─ 7274 cat
           ├─ 7276 /opt/google/chrome/chrome_crashpad_handler --monitor-self --monitor-self-annotation=ptype=crashpad-handler --database=/home/test/.config/google-chrome/Crash Reports --metrics-dir=/home/rs...
           ├─ 7278 /opt/google/chrome/chrome_crashpad_handler --no-periodic-tasks --monitor-self-annotation=ptype=crashpad-handler --database=/home/test/.config/google-chrome/Crash Reports --url=https://cli...
           ├─ 7284 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=zygote --no-zygote-sandbox --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --change-stack-guard-...
           ├─ 7287 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=zygote --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --change-stack-guard-on-fork=enable --ena...
           ├─ 7288 /opt/google/chrome/nacl_helper
           ├─ 7291 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=zygote --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --change-stack-guard-on-fork=enable --ena...
           ├─ 7312 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=gpu-process --field-trial-handle=16974115564418688475,6173061062995461587,131072 --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c...
           ├─ 7314 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=utility --utility-sub-type=network.mojom.NetworkService --field-trial-handle=16974115564418688475,6173061062995461587,131072 --lang=en-US --service-sandbox-...
           ├─ 7317 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=utility --utility-sub-type=storage.mojom.StorageService --field-trial-handle=16974115564418688475,6173061062995461587,131072 --lang=en-US --service-sandbox-...
           ├─ 7478 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=renderer --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --extension-process --display-capture-p...
           ├─ 7498 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=utility --utility-sub-type=audio.mojom.AudioService --field-trial-handle=16974115564418688475,6173061062995461587,131072 --lang=en-US --service-sandbox-type...
           ├─ 8653 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=renderer --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --display-capture-permissions-policy-al...
           ├─ 9114 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=renderer --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --display-capture-permissions-policy-al...
           ├─ 9137 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=renderer --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --display-capture-permissions-policy-al...
           ├─12906 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=renderer --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --display-capture-permissions-policy-al...
           ├─12941 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=renderer --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --display-capture-permissions-policy-al...
           ├─13155 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=renderer --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --display-capture-permissions-policy-al...
           ├─13195 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=renderer --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --display-capture-permissions-policy-al...
           ├─13215 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=renderer --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --display-capture-permissions-policy-al...
           ├─13250 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=renderer --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --display-capture-permissions-policy-al...
           ├─13266 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=renderer --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --display-capture-permissions-policy-al...
           ├─13483 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=renderer --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --display-capture-permissions-policy-al...
           └─13548 /opt/google/chrome/chrome --type=renderer --enable-crashpad --crashpad-handler-pid=7276 --enable-crash-reporter=42d6c93e-3ccf-41c3-bb8f-91bb21b2f56f, --display-capture-permissions-policy-al...

Now execute the systemd-cgtop command to monitor the utilization of firefox and chrome browsers.

Ubuntu
Linux
Browsers
Firefox
Chrome

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Ramesh Sahoo

Written by Ramesh Sahoo

35 Followers

I describe myself as a troubleshooter, problem solver, techie, quick learner, and good mentor. I have 11+ years of IT industry experience in many MNCs.

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