LXDE 2010.10; Power management on HP NX9005 Laptop.

[melodie]

Patrick: The New Zealand site doesn't accept my explicit model description. Can't find a search result. I'm still looking for a real human to talk to about it. HP US Headquarters lists only Windows OS's. I did find a site on Gooooooogle where a nice man described how to get the Windows (I chose XP) update, unpack it under Wine (Eeek!) and write the data file to a floppy. But no explanation of how. It is a V1.6 update and targets battery recognition. I can get the unpacking done by a Window-ed neighbour, but I am seriously unwilling to pop the flop into the thing and turn it loose!!

Hi,

Install "lshw", invoke it as root and bring back it's output : it's quite long, please put it into code tags. (the # sign in the editor)

[Yankee]

BJF:

Battery recognition ?

I think I'm going to upgrade my BIOS thermal control this week.  Never did. 
It's very easy but you need to upgrade "thermal control" for HP I would think
as part of the solution.   

Wonder what Melodie's "lshw" will reveal.


Patrick013

[BJF]

Woohoo! A novel.

Melodie:

[root@localhost mdm]# lshw
localhost.localdomain     
    description: Notebook
    product: HP nx9005 (DK783A)
    vendor: Hewlett-Packard
    version: KAM1.42
    serial: CNF32625C2
    width: 32 bits
    capabilities: smbios-2.3 dmi-2.3
    configuration: administrator_password=enabled boot=oem-specific chassis=notebook frontpanel_password=unknown keyboard_password=unknown power-on_password=disabled uuid=E0496D65-B67D-D711-A504-000BCDA5C35C
  *-core
       description: Motherboard
       product: 0024
       vendor: Hewlett-Packard
       physical id: 0
       version: PQ1A75
       serial: None
     *-firmware
          description: BIOS
          vendor: Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
          physical id: 0
          version: KAM1.42 (04/29/20032)
          size: 107KiB
          capacity: 448KiB
          capabilities: isa pci pcmcia pnp upgrade shadowing escd cdboot bootselect socketedrom pcmciaboot edd int13floppynec int13floppytoshiba int5printscreen int9keyboard int14serial int17printer int10video acpi usb agp
     *-cpu
          description: CPU
          product: mobile AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2000+
          vendor: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD]
          physical id: 4
          bus info: cpu@0
          version: 6.8.1
          slot: mPGA462B
          size: 1656MHz
          capacity: 1662MHz
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 133MHz
          capabilities: fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 mmx fxsr sse syscall mp mmxext 3dnowext 3dnow up cpufreq
        *-cache:0
             description: L2 cache
             physical id: 8
             slot: L2 Cache
             size: 256KiB
             capacity: 1MiB
             capabilities: synchronous internal write-back
        *-cache:1
             description: L1 cache
             physical id: 0
             size: 128KiB
        *-cache:2
             description: L2 cache
             physical id: 1
             size: 256KiB
     *-memory
          description: System Memory
          physical id: 1b
          slot: System board or motherboard
          size: 512MiB
          capacity: 1GiB
        *-bank:0
             description: DIMM DRAM Synchronous [empty]
             physical id: 0
             slot: M1
        *-bank:1
             description: DIMM DRAM Synchronous
             physical id: 1
             slot: M2
             size: 256MiB
             width: 64 bits
        *-bank:2
             description: DIMM DRAM Synchronous
             physical id: 2
             slot: M3
             size: 256MiB
             width: 64 bits
     *-pci
          description: Host bridge
          product: AGP Bridge [IGP 320M]
          vendor: ATI Technologies Inc
          physical id: 100
          bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
          version: 13
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          configuration: driver=agpgart-ati latency=32
          resources: irq:0 memory:d4000000-d7ffffff(prefetchable) memory:d0500000-d0500fff(prefetchable) ioport:8090(size=4)
        *-pci
             description: PCI bridge
             product: PCI Bridge [IGP 320M]
             vendor: ATI Technologies Inc
             physical id: 1
             bus info: pci@0000:00:01.0
             version: 01
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 66MHz
             capabilities: pci normal_decode bus_master
             resources: ioport:9000(size=4096) memory:d0100000-d01fffff memory:e0000000-efffffff(prefetchable)
           *-display UNCLAIMED
                description: VGA compatible controller
                product: Radeon Mobility U1
                vendor: ATI Technologies Inc
                physical id: 5
                bus info: pci@0000:01:05.0
                version: 00
                width: 32 bits
                clock: 66MHz
                capabilities: agp agp-2.0 pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list
                configuration: latency=66 mingnt=8
                resources: memory:e0000000-efffffff(prefetchable) ioport:9000(size=256) memory:d0100000-d010ffff memory:d0120000-d013ffff(prefetchable)
        *-usb
             description: USB Controller
             product: USB 1.1 Controller
             vendor: ALi Corporation
             physical id: 2
             bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
             version: 03
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm ohci bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ohci_hcd latency=64 maxlatency=80
             resources: irq:10 memory:d0004000-d0004fff
           *-usbhost
                product: OHCI Host Controller
                vendor: Linux 2.6.33.7-pclos6.bfs ohci_hcd
                physical id: 1
                bus info: usb@1
                logical name: usb1
                version: 2.06
                capabilities: usb-1.10
                configuration: driver=hub slots=4 speed=12.0MB/s
              *-usb
                   description: Generic USB device
                   product: AR5523
                   vendor: Atheros Communications Inc
                   physical id: 1
                   bus info: usb@1:1
                   version: 0.01
                   serial: 1.0
                   capabilities: usb-2.00
                   configuration: driver=ndiswrapper speed=12.0MB/s
        *-multimedia
             description: Multimedia audio controller
             product: M5451 PCI AC-Link Controller Audio Device
             vendor: ALi Corporation
             physical id: 6
             bus info: pci@0000:00:06.0
             version: 02
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ALI 5451 latency=64 maxlatency=24 mingnt=2
             resources: irq:5 ioport:8400(size=256) memory:d0005000-d0005fff
        *-isa
             description: ISA bridge
             product: M1533/M1535/M1543 PCI to ISA Bridge [Aladdin IV/V/V+]
             vendor: ALi Corporation
             physical id: 7
             bus info: pci@0000:00:07.0
             version: 00
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: isa pm bus_master cap_list
             configuration: latency=0
        *-communication UNCLAIMED
             description: Modem
             product: M5457 AC'97 Modem Controller
             vendor: ALi Corporation
             physical id: 8
             bus info: pci@0000:00:08.0
             version: 00
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm generic cap_list
             configuration: latency=64
             resources: memory:d0006000-d0006fff ioport:8800(size=256)
        *-pcmcia:0
             description: CardBus bridge
             product: OZ6933/711E1 CardBus/SmartCardBus Controller
             vendor: O2 Micro, Inc.
             physical id: a
             bus info: pci@0000:00:0a.0
             version: 01
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pcmcia bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=yenta_cardbus latency=176 maxlatency=5 mingnt=128
             resources: irq:11 memory:80000000-80000fff ioport:1000(size=256) ioport:1400(size=256) memory:1c000000-1fffffff(prefetchable) memory:20000000-23ffffff
        *-pcmcia:1
             description: CardBus bridge
             product: OZ6933/711E1 CardBus/SmartCardBus Controller
             vendor: O2 Micro, Inc.
             physical id: a.1
             bus info: pci@0000:00:0a.1
             version: 01
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pcmcia bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=yenta_cardbus latency=176 maxlatency=5 mingnt=128
             resources: irq:11 memory:2c010000-2c010fff ioport:1800(size=256) ioport:1c00(size=256) memory:24000000-27ffffff(prefetchable) memory:28000000-2bffffff
        *-firewire
             description: FireWire (IEEE 1394)
             product: TSB43AB21 IEEE-1394a-2000 Controller (PHY/Link)
             vendor: Texas Instruments
             physical id: c
             bus info: pci@0000:00:0c.0
             version: 00
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm ohci bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ohci1394 latency=64 maxlatency=4 mingnt=2
             resources: irq:10 memory:d0007000-d00077ff memory:d0000000-d0003fff
        *-ide
             description: IDE interface
             product: M5229 IDE
             vendor: ALi Corporation
             physical id: 10
             bus info: pci@0000:00:10.0
             logical name: scsi0
             logical name: scsi1
             version: c4
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: ide pm bus_master cap_list emulated
             configuration: driver=pata_ali latency=32 maxlatency=4 mingnt=2
             resources: irq:0 ioport:1f0(size=8) ioport:3f6 ioport:170(size=8) ioport:376 ioport:8080(size=16)
           *-disk
                description: ATA Disk
                product: ST9120822A
                vendor: Seagate
                physical id: 0
                bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0
                logical name: /dev/sda
                version: n/a
                serial: 5LZ95P5M
                size: 111GiB (120GB)
                capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos
                configuration: ansiversion=5 signature=be30be30
              *-volume:0
                   description: EXT3 volume
                   vendor: Linux
                   physical id: 1
                   bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,1
                   logical name: /dev/sda1
                   logical name: /
                   version: 1.0
                   serial: 5db4ad47-f567-4b84-a26e-11e9fb61c577
                   size: 7993MiB
                   capacity: 7993MiB
                   capabilities: primary bootable journaled extended_attributes large_files recover ext3 ext2 initialized
                   configuration: created=2010-11-23 19:46:26 filesystem=ext3 modified=2010-11-23 20:14:43 mount.fstype=ext3 mount.options=rw,relatime,errors=continue,user_xattr,commit=600,data=ordered mounted=2010-12-06 14:56:35 state=mounted
              *-volume:1
                   description: Extended partition
                   physical id: 2
                   bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,2
                   logical name: /dev/sda2
                   size: 103GiB
                   capacity: 103GiB
                   capabilities: primary extended partitioned partitioned:extended
                 *-logicalvolume:0
                      description: Linux swap / Solaris partition
                      physical id: 5
                      logical name: /dev/sda5
                      capacity: 3992MiB
                      capabilities: nofs
                 *-logicalvolume:1
                      description: Linux filesystem partition
                      physical id: 6
                      logical name: /dev/sda6
                      logical name: /media/disk
                      capacity: 100GiB
                      configuration: mount.fstype=ext3 mount.options=rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,errors=continue,user_xattr,commit=600,data=ordered state=mounted
           *-cdrom
                description: CD-R/CD-RW writer
                product: CD-R/RW SR-C8102
                vendor: TOSHIBA
                physical id: 1
                bus info: scsi@1:0.0.0
                logical name: /dev/cdrom
                logical name: /dev/cdrw
                logical name: /dev/dvd
                logical name: /dev/scd0
                logical name: /dev/sr0
                version: 1911
                capabilities: removable audio cd-r cd-rw
                configuration: ansiversion=5 status=nodisc
        *-bridge
             description: Bridge
             product: M7101 Power Management Controller [PMU]
             vendor: ALi Corporation
             physical id: 11
             bus info: pci@0000:00:11.0
             version: 00
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: bridge pm
             configuration: driver=ali1535_smbus latency=0
             resources: irq:0
        *-network
             description: Ethernet interface
             product: DP83815 (MacPhyter) Ethernet Controller
             vendor: National Semiconductor Corporation
             physical id: 12
             bus info: pci@0000:00:12.0
             logical name: eth0
             version: 00
             serial: 00:0b:cd:a5:c3:5c
             size: 10MB/s
             capacity: 100MB/s
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list rom ethernet physical tp mii fibre 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
             configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=natsemi driverversion=2.1 duplex=half latency=90 link=no maxlatency=52 mingnt=11 multicast=yes port=twisted pair speed=10MB/s
             resources: irq:11 ioport:8c00(size=256) memory:d0008000-d0008fff memory:2c000000-2c00ffff(prefetchable)
  *-remoteaccess UNCLAIMED
       vendor: Intel
       physical id: 1
       capabilities: inbound
  *-network
       description: Wireless interface
       physical id: 2
       logical name: wlan0
       serial: 00:03:2f:30:41:c2
       capabilities: ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ndiswrapper+net5523 driverversion=1.56+,10/04/2004,1.0.1.4 ip=192.168.2.6 link=yes multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11g
[root@localhost mdm]#

Any clues, apart from the 2032 bios date, in this?

Thanks.

[melodie]

Woohoo! A novel.

Melodie:

Hi, between code tags please.

Code: [Select]

code tags

[melodie]

Here is the page with the updates for the BIOS of your machine. The latest is at the top list.
http://tinyurl.com/bios-hp-nx9005

the download is under the button download. If you don't have Windows installed in this machine you will have to... install one.

Directions for using:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadInst?swfsequence=1&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&softwareitem=ob-31515-1&os=228&product=321845&sw_lang=

states that you must not turn out the computer while updating the BIOS. And that the exe once executed will give you instructions so that the new bios is installed to a floppy that will then be bootable...

Now I don't remember anymore why you needed to update the bios. But it seems old enough, considering the number of all the new versions that have been available since your's.

[BJF]

Melodie: Would you please have a look at this link;

http://www.bitflop.com/document/92

The author seems to suggest that the .img file from the update can be obtained by extracting it under XP, and once placed on a floppy will do the bios update. I really need to know if this is possible before attempting it. I have the latest HP self-extracting file and can see the .img in it. I don't want to go to all the trouble of emptying my drive, formatting, and installing XP and the Service packs just to remove them and get PCLINUX back!

Merci bien.

[melodie]

I'm not an expert at preparing tools to update bios. What I have done is a difficult reaserch based on your hardware specs to find exactly the bios that fits your machine. The site of HP was lagging, lagging, and I was coming back to the pages once a while to see if it had finished to display.

I advise you not to get a bios from another place. This can be risky.

Now you can : find someone with a Windows on his machine, and a floppy reader, and ask him to let you use his machine to prepare your bios (don't reboot on his machine with the floppy insterted ), or you can go to the closest LUG : Linux User Group, ask for someone who knows how to manage that, or you can write to HP, and ask them to prepare a generic file for you, that you can put to a modern media, such as a usb stick.

Let them know that we are more and more people using Linux !!! \o/ !

[Yankee]

states that you must not turn out the computer while updating the BIOS. And that the exe once executed will give you instructions so that the new bios is installed to a floppy that will then be bootable...

Now I don't remember anymore why you needed to update the bios. But it seems old enough, considering the number of all the new versions that have been available since your's.

Note to BJF -

Once the BIOS is on the floppy, or maybe a flash drive, from your friend with Windows, the thing
will boot up and probably self install while you not having to remove LINUX from your HP sounds like
to me.  So we can change the BIOS.   But, I don't see that these BIOS updates have addressed the
problem of the fan and it's bad thermal control.   Updates are updates tho.

If the HP .exe file will not go to a usb flash drive directly ask your friend to image (backup the disk) the
floppy if he has the software, restore the image to a usb flash drive, take it home and the flash drive
should boot then but only on your  computer as Melodie stated.

Hope the fan goes off.

I feel like quitting too sometimes.


Patrick013

[melodie]

 But, I don't see that these BIOS updates have addressed the
problem of the fan and it's bad thermal control.   Updates are updates tho.

I haven't find the changelogs for each of the updates on this page, but usually bios updates really help a few things. My companion has updated the bios for a friend's machine today. Before the update : no way to get a boot to end, with a Live usb, or with a Live CD (2 distros tried and it ended on a black screen, even with vesa, with failsafe, any !) and now, it ends the boot alright. The fan problem can probably be solved : particularly if as is often happens, new options are available in the bios section to be configured.

[BJF]

Melodie: Merci Madam. I have changed my boot order back to make the floppy drive the first thing checked, and remembered that somewhere I have a Tosh Satellite with XP on it, and a ruined battery. I will plug it in this weekend and set about making a bios floppy. Or I can just go to my neighbour's home and ask. A floppy is probably more reliable than USB on a 2005 machine. Thank you for all your help with this. I will report back with the results.
Patrick: Thank you too.

[melodie]

I'll be looking forward to read about the results, particularly the behavior of the machine after bios update.
Wish you success,
Mélodie

[BJF]

Melodie: The flash went well, with K AM1.6 revision now on board. There are a couple of additions to the setup menu which don't apply to power saving. A few anxious moments while the new bios inspected memory in secret behind a seemingly locked setup screen (I found what it was doing by hitting ESC), and it turned off the touchpad without saying so, but we're away again. The fan is only slightly, if at all, less active after all that. I'm writing this at an air temperature of 25c, the CPU is at 48 and the fan is churning away!
Can you please give your opinion (anyone?) as to what more aggressive fan controls there are in the repo's that would not load down LXDE with dependencies. I have gnome-power-manager installed but it appears when running to be monitoring the battery, dimming the screen, and allowing the machine to hibernate. I really would like a battery monitor just like it, but some say in my fan speed too.

Thank you for your help,
John.

[melodie]

Hi,

I don't remember if you said : do you have laptop mode installed and configured, and do you have cpufreq enabled and configured ? For this one if you have it, what does "cpufreq-info" (as root) bring back ?

/ I just saw a tool I don't know : cpufreq-aperf. Anyone knows what it does and how to use it ? There is only a short help, and no man for it...

/ Do someone know if our latest kernels have support for cpufreqd (CPU frequency scaling daemon) enabled now ? Last time I checked, a few months ago, it was not available (had seen it when trying to activate a freshly installed cpufreqd package).

BJF, I have looked for a doc on the web about cpufreq, and found this one which is quite clean and easy to step into: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Cpufrequtils

The § Scaling governors is what I was especially looking for, because man and --help are not very self-explanatory.

I just did a test on my laptop, set it up to "powersave" and it has gone down for 1.47 Ghz used to 733 Mhz. (My laptop has a Celeron 1.46 Ghz... ). I guess the fan here may also stop a bit more often.

On app I notice which is a great "cpu eater", (or "heater" ? ) is Firefox. But unfortunately, I can't go without Firefox. Too much used to it, it's plugins and so...

[melodie]

Hi again,

This is strange:

# laptop_mode
Laptop mode
enabled,
not active [unchanged]

[melodie]

BJF, have a look here, and then try the cpufreq-set -g powersave option on your machine. Let us know if it helps calm down the fan.