Arch Linux

pritchard92

Member

Registered: 2009-06-19

Posts: 62

Powernowd not loading on startup; but loads manually?

Im running Arch on an old Dell C640. Runs like a champ, though it overheats quite badly - much worse than when running XP (dual booting )

So I read into CPU scaling, and read that powernowd is useful for changing CPU speed depending on how heavy a load you are running.
Installed and built it from yaourt.

I have added the compatible cpufreq drivers to the "MODULES" array in /etc/rc.conf:

MOD_AUTOLOAD="yes"
#MOD_BLACKLIST=() #deprecated
MODULE=(speedstep-lib b43 snd-pcsp)

First I tried the "p4-clockmod", as this dell is running a Mobile P4. However, it is speed-step enabled (there is an option in the bios called "enable speedstep; which is set to enable), so i though this was more appropriate.

I have also added powernowd to the "DAEMONS" section too:

DAEMONS=(syslog-ng !network netfs crond hal powernowd)

But I recieve this error on start up:

: Starting Powernowd    [BUSY] 
PowerNowd encountered and error and could not start.
Please make sure that:
 - You are running a v2.6.7 kernel or later
 - That you have sysfs mounted /sys
 - That you have the core cpufreq and cpufreq-userspace
   modules loaded into your kernel
 - That you have the cpufreq driver for your cpu loaded,
   (for example: powernow-k7), and that it works. Check
   'dmesg' for errors.
If all of the above are true, and you still have problems,
please email the author: clemej@alum.rpi.edu
   [FAIL]

However, if i modprobe either speedstep-lib or p4-clockmod, then run:

sudo /etc/rc.d/powernowd start

it works fine.

Ideas?

I could just add those steps (modprobe the driver, then run powernowd) to my openbox autostart.sh, but I would rather have this start on boot, not when i start X, as sometimes I dont start X.. Just for leet retro kicks .

Thanks in advance.

---

http://kneedeepinnix.wordpress.com - A linux blog

tonyisnt

Member

Registered: 2008-03-18

Posts: 158

Re: Powernowd not loading on startup; but loads manually?

I used to have a similar problem on my desktop with lm-sensors.  My work-around was to add it to my rc.local file (in addition to having it listed in my daemons—I never tried removing it from the daemon line).

Anyway, since it fails to start at all for you just add "/etc/rc.d/powernowd start" to /etc/rc.local.  I used to have restart, but it always launched initially, just failed to make the files.

Alternatively, maybe you could try using cpufrequtils.  I used powernowd a long time ago, but since switching to Arch I've always just gone with cpufreq.

I just won an eBay auction for a C640 and will be getting it soon, so hopefully all goes well for me too.

Last edited by tonyisnt (2009-07-07 01:32:21)