[solved]this user finding it hard to establish acpi-cpufreq as permanent driver

[macemm]

My acer aspire 3620 has been running so hot I began to look for a cure.
My investigations led me to a thread on this board. I have followed the instructions given here:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,84821.0.html

which worked for the user the advice was intended for.

This my initial read out from cpufreq-info:

Code:

cpufreq-info
cpufrequtils 008: cpufreq-info (C) Dominik Brodowski 2004-2009
Report errors and bugs to cpufreq@vger.kernel.org, please.
analyzing CPU 0:
  driver: p4-clockmod
  CPUs which run at the same hardware frequency: 0
  CPUs which need to have their frequency coordinated by software: 0
  maximum transition latency: 10.00 ms.
  hardware limits: 188 MHz - 1.50 GHz
  available frequency steps: 188 MHz, 375 MHz, 563 MHz, 750 MHz, 938 MHz, 1.13 GHz, 1.31 GHz, 1.50 GHz
  available cpufreq governors: conservative, powersave, ondemand, userspace, performance
  current policy: frequency should be within 750 MHz and 1.50 GHz.
                  The governor "performance" may decide which speed to use
                  within this range.
  current CPU frequency is 1.50 GHz.

and after following the steps in the above referenced thread like so:

as root

Code:

modprobe acpi-cpufreq
FATAL: Error inserting acpi_cpufreq (/lib/modules/2.6.38.8-pclos3.bfs/kernel/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/cpufreq/acpi-cpufreq.ko.gz): Device or resource busy

I also, as the thread advises, added to /etc/modprobe.preload:

Code:

acpi-cpufreq
cpufreq_ondemand
cpufreq_powersave
cpufreq_conservative

also my /etc/sysconfig/cpufreq after modification looks like this:

Code:

cat /etc/sysconfig/cpufreq
# set cpufreq governor if defined
# possible choices are: ondemand powersave userspace performance
GOVERNOR=ondemand

# minimum frequency
#MIN_FREQ=

# maximum frequency
#MAX_FREQ=

# Uncomment to use acpi-cpufreq as fallback
USE_ACPI_CPUFREQ=yes

The USE_ACPI_CPUFREQ=yes line was commented. I removed the comment. Maybe I should put it back? But what sense would that make?
I'll wait until somebody looks at their /etc/sysconfig/cpufreq and see what it reads like - after all this was a llater modification and it made no difference to the original results.

In PCC, I checked to see if cpufreq was running in system services and it is.

So after all modifications and reboots my cpufreq-info still looks like this:

Code:

cpufreq-info
cpufrequtils 008: cpufreq-info (C) Dominik Brodowski 2004-2009
Report errors and bugs to cpufreq@vger.kernel.org, please.
analyzing CPU 0:
  driver: p4-clockmod
  CPUs which run at the same hardware frequency: 0
  CPUs which need to have their frequency coordinated by software: 0
  maximum transition latency: 10.00 ms.
  hardware limits: 188 MHz - 1.50 GHz
  available frequency steps: 188 MHz, 375 MHz, 563 MHz, 750 MHz, 938 MHz, 1.13 GHz, 1.31 GHz, 1.50 GHz
  available cpufreq governors: conservative, powersave, ondemand, userspace, performance
  current policy: frequency should be within 750 MHz and 1.50 GHz.
                  The governor "performance" may decide which speed to use
                  within this range.
  current CPU frequency is 1.50 GHz (asserted by call to hardware).

As you will note from the other posters thread the adviser's cpufreq-info has their driver listed as acpi-cpufreq whereas mine is the same as when I began
troubleshooting.

Would anyone care to offer assistance?

Ignore the spec in my signature this laptop is on loan. If anyone needs more specifications other than I have given - vitually none - pleas ask.

OS = minime up to date; kernel = 2.6.38.8-pclos3.bfs

Hugh

[AS]

This my initial read out from cpufreq-info:

cpufreq-info
cpufrequtils 008: cpufreq-info (C) Dominik Brodowski 2004-2009
Report errors and bugs to cpufreq@vger.kernel.org, please.
analyzing CPU 0:
  driver: p4-clockmod
  CPUs which run at the same hardware frequency: 0
  CPUs which need to have their frequency coordinated by software: 0
  maximum transition latency: 10.00 ms.

A first thing to notice, is that p4-clockmod is an alternate driver to acpi-cpufreq, you cannot load both, this the error message
"Device or resource busy".

 hardware limits: 188 MHz - 1.50 GHz

However p4-clockmod should be able to drive the clock speed of your CPU.
Did you tried to change "governor" ?

from command line:
cpufreq-set -g powersave

AS

[macemm]

A first thing to notice, is that p4-clockmod is an alternate driver to acpi-cpufreq, you cannot load both, this the error message
"Device or resource busy".

  hardware limits: 188 MHz - 1.50 GHz

However p4-clockmod should be able to drive the clock speed of your CPU.
Did you tried to change "governor" ?

from command line:
cpufreq-set -g powersave

AS


[/quote]

AS,
Thanks for the reply.
I thought the idea was to replace the current driver with acpi-cpufreq and the procedures outlined as described above would achieve such a scenario.

the command cpufreq-set -g powersave gave me no output so I have no idea if it did anything.

Also if you read the first thread I have modified the /etc/sysconfig/cpufreq AND the /etc/modprobe.preload to take advantage of what I thought/hoped would be acpi-cpufreq driver. Should I put them back the way they were?

...then run cpufreq-set -g powersave again?

best wishes,

hugh

[AS]

I thought the idea was to replace the current driver with acpi-cpufreq and the procedures outlined as described above would achieve such a scenario.

try to remove the module p4-clockmod, from a terminal as root:
modprobe -r p4-clockmod

then try to add acpi-cpufreq:
modprobe acpi-cpufreq

the command cpufreq-set -g powersave gave me no output so I have no idea if it did anything.

use cpufreq-info to verify changes 

Also if you read the first thread I have modified the /etc/sysconfig/cpufreq AND the /etc/modprobe.preload to take advantage of what I thought/hoped would be acpi-cpufreq driver. Should I put them back the way they were?

Those configuration files are actually used from service cpufreq, they are read when the service is started (at boot, if service is enabled), so you need to check a) if the service is enabled (PCLinuxOS Control Center -> System -> Manage services), b) The results you are going to obtain from command line tests will determine what driver will work for your system, if p4-clockmod or acpi-cpufreq.

best wishes,

Happy Christmas Holidays 

[macemm]

Those configuration files are actually used from service cpufreq, they are read when the service is started (at boot, if service is enabled), so you need to check a) if the service is enabled (PCLinuxOS Control Center -> System -> Manage services), b) The results you are going to obtain from command line tests will determine what driver will work for your system, if p4-clockmod or acpi-cpufreq.

First thread - already done that.

Code:

In PCC, I checked to see if cpufreq was running in system services and it is.

So from what you are saying the system has chosen the best cpu settings driver available to it and for me it is not cpufreq.

In the thread that I got all the settings from and applied, the person did not appear to have any driver installed. They do not say how such a thing happened - doesn't really sound like a user choice at all.

I am in error here since I already do have a cpu driver in evidence and it is called p4-clockmod.

I might come back to this thread if lappy experiences serious overheating again.

The symptoms - while watching a dvd movie from the dvd drive - showed up as slow motion video and sound cessation after thirty minutes + burning hot laptop and difficulty getting machine shut down, very unresponsive.

The symptoms - while watching a dvd movie from a folder on the hard drive - showed up as slow motion video and sound cessation after one hour.

I can replicate this with any movie.

My main machine is being shipped with the rest of our household goods.

All our stuff won't be here until the middle of January 2012.

Didn't want to damage this borrowed laptop hence the concern about finding a suitable solution to the accelerated heat problem,

Thanks for your help,

Hugh

[AS]

Those configuration files are actually used from service cpufreq, they are read when the service is started (at boot, if service is enabled), so you need to check a) if the service is enabled (PCLinuxOS Control Center -> System -> Manage services), b) The results you are going to obtain from command line tests will determine what driver will work for your system, if p4-clockmod or acpi-cpufreq.

First thread - already done that.

Code:

In PCC, I checked to see if cpufreq was running in system services and it is.

So from what you are saying the system has chosen the best cpu settings driver available to it and for me it is not cpufreq.

In the thread that I got all the settings from and applied, the person did not appear to have any driver installed. They do not say how such a thing happened - doesn't really sound like a user choice at all.

It may depend from accuracy of hardware recognition ... might depend from BIOS settings too ... on some system the driver is recognized automatically, on some other not.

I am in error here since I already do have a cpu driver in evidence and it is called p4-clockmod.

... very probably you have a P4 CPU ...

I might come back to this thread if lappy experiences serious overheating again.

The symptoms - while watching a dvd movie from the dvd drive - showed up as slow motion video and sound cessation after thirty minutes + burning hot laptop and difficulty getting machine shut down, very unresponsive.

The symptoms - while watching a dvd movie from a folder on the hard drive - showed up as slow motion video and sound cessation after one hour.

I can replicate this with any movie.

What video card is installed on your Laptop ? And what video driver ? Some program/video card can be fine tuned to load the GPU instead of the CPU ... How much RAM is installed ?

Also, did you try a different program to watch movie ?

Check the running programs, (use System Monitor) watch for high CPU usage ...

My main machine is being shipped with the rest of our household goods.

All our stuff won't be here until the middle of January 2012.

Didn't want to damage this borrowed laptop hence the concern about finding a suitable solution to the accelerated heat problem,

Thanks for your help,

Hugh

Always welcome! 

[macemm]

AS,

This is a very low spec machine:

video=Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 03)

RAM=780+Megabytes and a Swap space of 1.4Gigabytes

My preferred video players are - in no particular order - vlc; smplayer; kaffeine.

The machine never had trouble with over heating in the past. But then it has never had KDE 4.6.5 on it before either.

Might try a more lightweight PCLinuxOS - plenty to choose from these days!!

Thanks again,

Hugh

[AS]

Might try a more lightweight PCLinuxOS - plenty to choose from these days!!

+1,  

Also: smplayer -> Option -> Preferences -> Output Driver, I found that some output driver is less resource hungry than others ... (gl, gl_nosw, gl2, ...), you may want to test some of them.

Good Luck!

AS

[macemm]

AS,

The trouble is mechanical. The fan is unwell.

Happy New Year,

Hugh

[AS]

The trouble is mechanical. The fan is unwell.

  Well (maybe not  ), at least you know what you will need to fix!   

AS