[nathanm]

This isn't anything I expect a solid answer on, I know its inherently vague and could-be-a-hundred-things type of situation but every search I've tried has come up without any good clues.  Maybe there's a small chance someone else here has run into this. 

I'm running 10.4.11 with all the most recent Software Updates installed and for some reason the processed "kernel_task" is sucking up 100% CPU (according to Activity Monitor) it does this consistently even with no other apps but the Finder running.  This ever happen to any of ya'll?  It seems to manifest itself in unusually poor internet access speed, applications run slower and the 'ol Squeezebox runs terribly, skipping audio and blacking out the display.  Hmmm.  I know, I know, Archive and Install...*sigh*

[mcullinan]

Nat,
go to the activity viewer, list the processes heiarchy by usage. What is the highest one? Is searchlight indexing? Try quitting the top process. If it is a perl activity that is the squeeze box server doing something.
mike

[mcullinan]

let me know if that helps at all. At least seeing what's going on.

[nathanm]

Ah-ha, the usual!  Get TWO people to look at a problem and it goes away!  Currently, as I type kernel_task is back down where it ought to be about 1% CPU or so.  It's doing this for spite I know it!

Before that I did a Safe Boot which did the same thing, 100% CPU usage on kernel_task

I shutdown, removed an unused SCSI card for grins.  This had been installed without incident for a long time, though.  I dunno, it was something to do.

Then I booted normally, got a kernel panic just as it started to finish booting.

Booted again, worked okay.  Now kernel_task is behaving itself.  Weird.  Spotlight is not indexing.  I dunno, might just be time for a good reinstall.