Home Forums Mac Software Mac Operating Systems Baffling swap file!

I awoke the other morning to find this.

The swap file was created while I was asleep and the only apps open on my deuced Mac(hina) were iTunes (not playing), Timer Utility (not running), and Safari (FTM home page and two eBay pages open).

These are the Console entries around the creation time of the file at 10:34 AM:

5/4/16 6:33:53.000 AM kernel[0]: polled file major 1, minor 0, blocksize 4096, pollers 5
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: AppleThunderboltNHIType2::prePCIWake - power up complete - took 2 us
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: AppleThunderboltGenericHAL::earlyWake - complete - took 0 milliseconds
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: en0: BSSID changed to d8:30:62:36:e4:07
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: en0: channel changed to 157,+1
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: AirPort: Link Down on awdl0. Reason 1 (Unspecified).
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: ARPT: 108644.399350: wl0: leaveModulePoweredForOffloads: Wi-Fi will turn off.
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: AirPort: Link Down on en0. Reason 8 (Disassociated because station leaving).
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: en0::IO80211Interface::postMessage bssid changed
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: en0: 802.11d country code set to 'X0'.
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: en0: Supported channels 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 100 104 108 112 116 120 124 128 132 136 140 144 149 153 157 161 165
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: ARPT: 108644.425537: AirPort_Brcm43xx::syncPowerState: WWEN[disabled]
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: IOThunderboltSwitch<0>(0x0)::listenerCallback - Thunderbolt HPD packet for route = 0x0 port = 11 unplug = 0
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: AppleCamIn::systemWakeCall - messageType = 0xE0000340
5/4/16 6:33:54.000 AM kernel[0]: AppleThunderboltNHIType2::waitForOk2Go2Sx - intel_rp = 1 dlla_reporting_supported = 0
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: AppleThunderboltNHIType2::waitForOk2Go2Sx - retries = 9
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: Wake reason: EC.SleepTimer (SleepTimer)
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: AppleCamIn::systemWakeCall - messageType = 0xE0000340
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: AppleCamIn::wakeEventHandlerThread
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM syslogd[44]: ASL Sender Statistics
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: RTC: PowerByCalendarDate setting ignored
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: Previous sleep cause: 5
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: AppleThunderboltNHIType2::prePCIWake - power up complete - took 1 us
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: AppleThunderboltGenericHAL::earlyWake - complete - took 1 milliseconds
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: ARPT: 108645.728795: ChangeVCO => vco:960, xtalF:40, frac: 98, ndivMode: 3, ndivint: 24
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: ARPT: 108645.728801: Data written into the PLL_CNTRL_ADDR2: 00000c31
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: ARPT: 108645.728819: Data written into the PLL_CNTRL_ADDR3 (Fractional): 0000100e
5/4/16 10:33:36.009 AM symptomsd[218]: -[NetworkAnalyticsEngine _writeJournalRecord:fromCellFingerprint:key:atLOI:ofKind:lqm:isFaulty:] Hashing of the primary key failed. Dropping the journal record.
5/4/16 10:33:36.106 AM Dock[303]: -[UABestAppSuggestionManager notifyBestAppChanged:type:options:bundleIdentifier:activityType:dynamicIdentifier:when:confidence:deviceName:deviceIdentifier:deviceType:] (null) UASuggestedActionType=0 (null)/(null) opts=(null) when=2016-05-04 14:33:36 +0000 confidence=1 from=(null)/(null) (UABestAppSuggestionManager.m #319)
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: IOThunderboltSwitch<0>(0x0)::listenerCallback - Thunderbolt HPD packet for route = 0x0 port = 11 unplug = 0
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: IOThunderboltSwitch<0>(0x0)::listenerCallback - Thunderbolt HPD packet for route = 0x0 port = 12 unplug = 0
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: TBT W (2): 0x0040 [x]
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: en0: channel changed to 1
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: AirPort: Link Up on awdl0
5/4/16 10:33:36.406 AM ntpd[201]: sigio_handler: sigio_handler_active != 1
5/4/16 10:33:36.406 AM ntpd[201]: sigio_handler: sigio_handler_active != 0
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: in6_unlink_ifa: IPv6 address 0x41800318b7e98a19 has no prefix
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: Setting BTCoex Config: enable_2G:1, profile_2g:0, enable_5G:1, profile_5G:0
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: Setting BTCoex Config: enable_2G:1, profile_2g:0, enable_5G:1, profile_5G:0
5/4/16 10:33:36.416 AM ntpd[201]: sigio_handler: sigio_handler_active != 1
5/4/16 10:33:36.416 AM ntpd[201]: sigio_handler: sigio_handler_active != 0
5/4/16 10:33:36.416 AM UserEventAgent[43]: Captive: CNPluginHandler en0: Inactive
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: USBMSC Identifier (non-unique): 000000000820 0x5ac 0x8406 0x820, 3
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: ARPT: 108646.350644: AirPort_Brcm43xx::powerChange: System Wake - Full Wake/ Dark Wake / Maintenance wake
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: ARPT: 108646.350670: IOPMPowerSource Information: onWake, SleepType: Normal Sleep, 'ExternalConnected': Yes, 'TimeRemaining': 0,
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: ARPT: 108646.350719: AirPort_Brcm43xx::platformWoWEnable: WWEN[disable]
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: AppleCamIn::systemWakeCall - messageType = 0xE0000340
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: AppleCamIn::wakeEventHandlerThread
5/4/16 10:33:36.000 AM kernel[0]: [HID] [ATC] AppleDeviceManagementHIDEventService::processWakeReason Wake reason: Host (0x01)
5/4/16 10:33:36.891 AM netbiosd[8577]: network_reachability_changed : network is not reachable, netbiosd is shutting down
5/4/16 10:33:36.892 AM symptomsd[218]: __73-[NetworkAnalyticsEngine observeValueForKeyPath:ofObject:change:context:]_block_invoke unexpected switch value 2
5/4/16 10:33:37.154 AM configd[53]: network changed: v4(en0-:192.168.1.2) DNS- Proxy-
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: in6_unlink_ifa: IPv6 address 0x41800318b7e98239 has no prefix
5/4/16 10:33:37.158 AM ntpd[201]: sigio_handler: sigio_handler_active != 1
5/4/16 10:33:37.158 AM ntpd[201]: sigio_handler: sigio_handler_active != 0
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: PM response took 491 ms (54, powerd)
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: IOPMrootDomain: idle cancel, state 1
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: IO80211AWDLPeerManager::setAwdlOperatingMode Setting the AWDL operation mode from AUTO to SUSPENDED
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: IO80211AWDLPeerManager::setAwdlSuspendedMode() Suspending AWDL, enterQuietMode(true)
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: en0: 802.11d country code set to 'US'.
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: en0: Supported channels 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 100 104 108 112 116 120 124 128 132 136 140 144 149 153 157 161 165
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: AirPort: Link Up on en0
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: en0: BSSID changed to d8:30:62:36:e4:07
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: en0: channel changed to 157,+1
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: en0::IO80211Interface::postMessage bssid changed
5/4/16 10:33:37.353 AM ntpd[201]: sigio_handler: sigio_handler_active != 1
5/4/16 10:33:37.353 AM ntpd[201]: sigio_handler: sigio_handler_active != 0
5/4/16 10:33:37.353 AM ntpd[201]: sigio_handler: sigio_handler_active != 1
5/4/16 10:33:37.353 AM ntpd[201]: sigio_handler: sigio_handler_active != 0
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: AirPort: RSN handshake complete on en0
5/4/16 10:33:37.361 AM symptomsd[218]: -[NetworkAnalyticsEngine _writeJournalRecord:fromCellFingerprint:key:atLOI:ofKind:lqm:isFaulty:] Hashing of the primary key failed. Dropping the journal record.
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: Unexpected payload found for message 9, dataLen 0
5/4/16 10:33:37.480 AM ntpd[201]: sigio_handler: sigio_handler_active != 1
5/4/16 10:33:37.480 AM mDNSResponder[89]: mDNS_RegisterInterface: Frequent transitions for interface en0 (FE80:0000:0000:0000:F65C:89FF:FECB:0335)
5/4/16 10:33:37.480 AM ntpd[201]: sigio_handler: sigio_handler_active != 0
5/4/16 10:33:37.486 AM ntpd[201]: sigio_handler: sigio_handler_active != 0
5/4/16 10:33:37.486 AM ntpd[201]: sigio_handler: sigio_handler_active != 1
5/4/16 10:33:37.487 AM UserEventAgent[43]: Captive: [CNInfoNetworkActive:1748] en0: SSID 'Network 36e407' making interface primary (cache indicates network not captive)
5/4/16 10:33:37.487 AM UserEventAgent[43]: Captive: CNPluginHandler en0: Evaluating
5/4/16 10:33:37.487 AM UserEventAgent[43]: Captive: en0: Not probing 'Network 36e407' (cache indicates not captive)
5/4/16 10:33:37.487 AM UserEventAgent[43]: Captive: CNPluginHandler en0: Authenticated
5/4/16 10:33:37.488 AM configd[53]: network changed: DNS* Proxy
5/4/16 10:33:37.493 AM configd[53]: network changed: v4(en0!:192.168.1.2) DNS+ Proxy+ SMB
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: IO80211AWDLPeerManager::setAwdlOperatingMode Setting the AWDL operation mode from SUSPENDED to AUTO
5/4/16 10:33:37.000 AM kernel[0]: IO80211AWDLPeerManager::setAwdlAutoMode Resuming AWDL
5/4/16 10:33:37.699 AM symptomsd[218]: __73-[NetworkAnalyticsEngine observeValueForKeyPath:ofObject:change:context:]_block_invoke unexpected switch value 2
5/4/16 10:33:37.699 AM SpotlightNetHelper[586]: [SLSUGGESTIONS] Missing SAP settings keys in the bag
5/4/16 10:33:37.751 AM SpotlightNetHelper[586]: tcp_connection_destination_perform_socket_connect 12 connectx to 17.249.171.246:443@0 failed: [64] Host is down
5/4/16 10:33:37.752 AM SpotlightNetHelper[586]: tcp_connection_get_statistics called with null connection, dumping backtrace:
[x86_64] libnetcore-583.40.20
0 libsystem_network.dylib 0x00007fff92f30de9 __nw_create_backtrace_string + 123
1 libsystem_network.dylib 0x00007fff92f1689a tcp_connection_get_statistics + 175
2 CFNetwork 0x00007fff88a4295d _ZN15TCPIOConnection28_signalConnectionEstablishedEv + 111
3 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff849e593d _dispatch_call_block_and_release + 12
4 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff849da40b _dispatch_client_callout + 8
5 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff849df03b _dispatch_queue_drain + 754
6 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff849e5707 _dispatch_queue_invoke + 549
7 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff849ddd53 _dispatch_root_queue_drain + 538
8 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff849ddb00 _dispatch_worker_thread3 + 91
9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff94e2f4de _pthread_wqthread + 1129
10 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff94e2d341 start_wqthread + 13
5/4/16 10:33:37.768 AM SpotlightNetHelper[586]: [SLSUGGESTIONS] Got bag error -1004
5/4/16 10:33:37.798 AM com.apple.geod[471]: tcp_connection_destination_perform_socket_connect 18 connectx to 104.81.137.100:443@0 failed: [64] Host is down
5/4/16 10:33:37.799 AM com.apple.geod[471]: 2016-05-04 10:33:37.799, 471, 3433150, [ResourceManifest]: Error loading resource manifest: Error Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1004 "Could not connect to the server." UserInfo={NSUnderlyingError=0x7f89037188c0 {Error Domain=kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork Code=-1004 "Could not connect to the server." UserInfo={NSErrorFailingURLStringKey=https://gspe35-ssl.ls.apple.com/geo_manifest/dynamic/config?application=geod&application_version=1&country_code=US&hardware=MacBookPro11,4&os=osx&os_build=15E65&os_version=10.11.4, NSErrorFailingURLKey=https://gspe35-ssl.ls.apple.com/geo_manifest/dynamic/config?application=geod&application_version=1&country_code=US&hardware=MacBookPro11,4&os=osx&os_build=15E65&os_version=10.11.4, _kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=64, _kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=1, NSLocalizedDescription=Could not connect to the server.}}, NSErrorFailingURLStringKey=https://gspe35-ssl.ls.apple.com/geo_manifest/dynamic/config?application=geod&application_version=1&country_code=US&hardware=MacBookPro11,4&os=osx&os_build=15E65&os_version=10.11.4, NSErrorFailingURLKey=https://gspe35-ssl.ls.apple.com/geo_manifest/dynamic/config?application=geod&application_version=1&country_code=US&hardware=MacBookPro11,4&os=osx&os_build=15E65&os_version=10.11.4, _kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=1, _kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=64, NSLocalizedDescription=Could not connect to the server.}
5/4/16 10:33:37.800 AM com.apple.geod[471]: 2016-05-04 10:33:37.800, 471, 502f070, [LogMessageLogging]: adaptorOptionsArray is nil or empty, there no adaptors available to create
5/4/16 10:33:37.801 AM com.apple.geod[471]: 2016-05-04 10:33:37.800, 471, 502f070, [LogMessageLogging]: _serverLogAdaptors is empty, adaptors not setup (geod restart), Send a message back to the app, to setup adaptors and resend the logMessage
5/4/16 10:33:41.000 AM kernel[0]: AppleCamIn::handleWakeEvent_gated
5/4/16 10:33:41.000 AM kernel[0]: AppleCamIn::handleWakeEvent_gated
5/4/16 10:33:42.917 AM com.apple.geod[471]: tcp_connection_destination_perform_socket_connect 19 connectx to 23.11.141.71:443@0 failed: [64] Host is down
5/4/16 10:33:42.919 AM com.apple.geod[471]: 2016-05-04 10:33:42.919, 471, 502f070, [CountryConfiguration]: Could not determine current country code: Error Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1004 "Could not connect to the server." UserInfo={NSUnderlyingError=0x7f8903718660 {Error Domain=kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork Code=-1004 "Could not connect to the server." UserInfo={NSErrorFailingURLStringKey=https://gspe1-ssl.ls.apple.com/pep/gcc, NSErrorFailingURLKey=https://gspe1-ssl.ls.apple.com/pep/gcc, _kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=64, _kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=1, NSLocalizedDescription=Could not connect to the server.}}, NSErrorFailingURLStringKey=https://gspe1-ssl.ls.apple.com/pep/gcc, NSErrorFailingURLKey=https://gspe1-ssl.ls.apple.com/pep/gcc, _kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=1, _kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=64, NSLocalizedDescription=Could not connect to the server.}
5/4/16 10:33:46.921 AM com.apple.CDScheduler[297]: Thermal pressure state: 1 Memory pressure state: 0
5/4/16 10:33:46.922 AM com.apple.CDScheduler[43]: Thermal pressure state: 1 Memory pressure state: 0
5/4/16 10:33:56.147 AM com.apple.CDScheduler[297]: Thermal pressure state: 0 Memory pressure state: 0
5/4/16 10:33:56.147 AM com.apple.CDScheduler[43]: Thermal pressure state: 0 Memory pressure state: 0
5/4/16 10:34:23.000 AM kernel[0]: PM response took 1847 ms (54, powerd)
5/4/16 10:34:23.000 AM kernel[0]: ARPT: 108693.242930: AirPort_Brcm43xx::powerChange: System Sleep
5/4/16 10:34:23.000 AM kernel[0]: ARPT: 108693.242950: IOPMPowerSource Information: onSleep, SleepType: Standby, 'ExternalConnected': Yes, 'TimeRemaining': 0,
5/4/16 10:34:23.000 AM kernel[0]: ARPT: 108693.242956: wl0: powerChange: *** BONJOUR/MDNS OFFLOADS ARE NOT RUNNING.
5/4/16 10:34:23.000 AM kernel[0]: AppleCamIn::systemWakeCall - messageType = 0xE0000340
5/4/16 11:12:01.000 AM kernel[0]: hibernate image path: /var/vm/sleepimage

There are a bunch of entries that refer to "wake" and "sleep" which mystify me, because I never sleep my deuced Mac(hina), but nothing that suggests swap file creation...to me, anyhow.

Sorry for the huge listing, but does anybody see anything in there that looks like it could have been related to the creation of a swap file?

And this happened with 16GB of RAM installed, by the way!

Thanks.

*shrug* I got up a few days ago to my macbook being OFF. Something had happened around 3am that had caused it to spontaneously power down. Not sleep, it was OFF. Much weirdness in console when I booted it back up too.

btw, sorry a little OT, but practically every time you speak of your computer, you refer it it as "my deuced Mac(hina)" -- what is that / what's it for?

"Deuced Mac(hina)" is a play on "deus ex machina", an ancient dramatic device meaning "God from a machine". (Think, for instance, the Mossad guy who magically appears to save Annie's butt in "Covert Affairs".)

Since "deuce" is, among other things, an epithet for the Devil, "deuced Mac(hina)" loosely translates to "devilish Mac machine" (and also loosely rhymes).

Your *shrug* puts some (eloquent...probably excellent as well) perspective on the matter, but I'm still bothered by what's happening.

Swap files have always been a fuzzy issue, but when joemike explained a while back that they're not necessarily created as needed, but also as requested by apps against future possible need, I thought I finally had something of a handle on them.

Since I've upgraded to El Cap, though, I'm seeing swap files constantly created out of the blue...without even a hint of a reason (first with 8GB RAM and now with 16GB), and I'm wondering if it's a bug or perhaps something on my end?