[Poll] Power Management Solution?

bernarcher · 2010-03-30 09:31:36

I used xscreensaver for years, but now I've reformed:
- pm-utils
- xset
- slock

thiago907 · 2010-03-30 22:21:50

cpufrequtils and some tips from the wiki (laptop area)

moljac024 · 2010-03-30 23:12:08

I guess I'm the only one who uses laptop-mode-tools and gnome-power-manager at the same time

Profjim · 2010-03-31 03:23:49

tzervo wrote:

I am using pm-utils and cpufrequtils, together with a custom script to put my pc to sleep when battery is low...
...still I can't find a solution to substitute my scripts (which are megacrap - I just want a good tool to monitor my battery)

You could try sleepd-git, which I put into AUR.

rent0n · 2010-06-26 21:16:09

I just set up a new power management solution:

laptop-mode-tools
acpid
cpufrequtils
pm-utils

I've got a couple of question, though:
1. After setting up cpufrequtils via /etc/acpi/handler.sh (as the wiki says) I realized it was possible to use it by just loading the acpi-cpufreq module in /etc/rc.conf and then configure it through /etc/laptop-mode/conf.d/cpufreq.conf. Am I right or I am missing something?
2. The only thing I miss is to suspend my laptop after a certain amount of time when I'm on battery. Is sleepd the only solution? In that case it would be nice to have also a stable package in the AUR other than sleepd-git.

Thanks!

uncholowapo · 2010-06-27 04:32:39

pm-utils
cpufrequtils
phc-intel

Undervolting my laptop with phc-intel has increased my battery life by 1/4. I love it. My Core 2 Duo can go as low as 35 degrees idling.

rent0n · 2010-06-27 07:24:33

uncholowapo wrote:

pm-utils
cpufrequtils
phc-intel
Undervolting my laptop with phc-intel has increased my battery life by 1/4. I love it. My Core 2 Duo can go as low as 35 degrees idling.

I don't really see the point in phc-utils. Isn't voltage automatically decreased when CPU frequency is scaled down by cpufrequtils?
Can you have different phc-utils setups depending if you're on battery or on AC?

Meyithi · 2010-06-27 11:40:46

For my netbook:

acpid
cpufrequtils
pm-utils

and the following in rc.local

# CPU frequency threshold
echo 67 > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpufreq/ondemand/up_threshold

# SATA ALPM
echo min_power > /sys/class/scsi_host/host0/link_power_management_policy
echo min_power > /sys/class/scsi_host/host1/link_power_management_policy
echo min_power > /sys/class/scsi_host/host2/link_power_management_policy
echo min_power > /sys/class/scsi_host/host3/link_power_management_policy

# USB Autosuspend
for i in /sys/bus/usb/devices/*/power/autosuspend; do echo 1 > $i; done
for i in /sys/bus/usb/devices/*/power/level; do echo auto > $i; done

# Intel HDA power saving
echo Y > /sys/module/snd_hda_intel/parameters/power_save_controller
echo 10 > /sys/module/snd_hda_intel/parameters/power_save

# VM power saving
echo 1500 > /proc/sys/vm/dirty_writeback_centisecs
echo 5 > /proc/sys/vm/laptop_mode

uncholowapo · 2010-06-27 16:06:15

rent0n wrote:

uncholowapo wrote:
pm-utils
cpufrequtils
phc-intel
Undervolting my laptop with phc-intel has increased my battery life by 1/4. I love it. My Core 2 Duo can go as low as 35 degrees idling.
I don't really see the point in phc-utils. Isn't voltage automatically decreased when CPU frequency is scaled down by cpufrequtils?
Can you have different phc-utils setups depending if you're on battery or on AC?

There's a difference between CPU scaling and undervolting. CPU scaling doesn't touch the voltage of a processor. It just changes the processor speed. You have to configure the voltage yourself if you want to undervolt and have a given limit as to how low you can lower it, which in my case, I can lower it to the lowest level with no speed decrease at all. It's perfectly safe if you do your testing. I even do it on Windows with CPUGenie (cost me a little extra because RMClock doesn't support the Penryn series, but the extra battery life and quieter laptop is well worth it). Did I mention that my laptop fans rarely come on anymore?

It also doesn't change CPU frequency so there is no point in having different setups whether if you're on AC or battery. Thats the job of cpufrequtils. All it does is change the voltage supplied to the processor, which in turn decreases temperature of the CPU and increases battery life because of the less your CPU needs to draw to power itself.

rent0n · 2010-06-27 16:32:17

uncholowapo wrote:

rent0n wrote:
uncholowapo wrote:
pm-utils
cpufrequtils
phc-intel
Undervolting my laptop with phc-intel has increased my battery life by 1/4. I love it. My Core 2 Duo can go as low as 35 degrees idling.
I don't really see the point in phc-utils. Isn't voltage automatically decreased when CPU frequency is scaled down by cpufrequtils?
Can you have different phc-utils setups depending if you're on battery or on AC?
There's a difference between CPU scaling and undervolting. CPU scaling doesn't touch the voltage of a processor. It just changes the processor speed. You have to configure the voltage yourself if you want to undervolt and have a given limit as to how low you can lower it, which in my case, I can lower it to the lowest level with no speed decrease at all. It's perfectly safe if you do your testing. I even do it on Windows with CPUGenie (cost me a little extra because RMClock doesn't support the Penryn series, but the extra battery life and quieter laptop is well worth it). Did I mention that my laptop fans rarely come on anymore?
It also doesn't change CPU frequency so there is no point in having different setups whether if you're on AC or battery. Thats the job of cpufrequtils. All it does is change the voltage supplied to the processor, which in turn decreases temperature of the CPU and increases battery life because of the less your CPU needs to draw to power itself.

Thanks for the very clear and detailed explanation. I will certainly give phc a try!

The reason why I asked is that I am still abit confused about this paragraph on the archwiki: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/PHC … lting_CPUs

uncholowapo · 2010-06-27 16:46:22

I edited the part and now displays the right information. Your welcome

stqn · 2010-06-27 19:34:03

uncholowapo wrote:

CPU scaling doesn't touch the voltage of a processor. It just changes the processor speed.

Not sure if that's what you meant, but this is mostly wrong: most CPU scaling solutions nowadays do change the voltage as the same time as the frequency. (acpi-cpufreq does, but not p4-clockmod)
However this is not "undervolting", since undervolting consists of running the processor at a lower voltage than the processor maker recommends...

My power management solutions:

echo conservative >/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor
echo 55 >/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpufreq/conservative/down_threshold

echo 1500 > /proc/sys/vm/dirty_writeback_centisecs

echo 1 > /sys/module/snd_ac97_codec/parameters/power_save
echo 1 > /dev/dsp

And a custom speedstep-centrino module so that cpufreq works, with lower voltages.

I'd like to switch my USB HDs off when not in use, but hdparm doesn't work on them and usb autosuspend seems to mess with my trackball...

Edit: forgot about .xinitrc:

xset s off dpms 0 0 300

Last edited by stqn (2010-06-28 02:17:39)

uncholowapo · 2010-06-28 00:24:56

Oops, your right. I should have said default voltages.

einhard · 2010-07-01 17:07:29

-Laptop-mode-tools (generally for HDD power managment)
-pm-utils (Wifi, soundcard, bluetooth, cd-polling and sleep suspend)
- PoverDevil - Am I the only one using it? In the future it will be probably the best power management utility available. It only lacks hdparm support.

Soumyadeep · 2010-07-01 17:30:49

---Cpupowerd to undervolt my proccy
---xscreensaver for monitor power management

takedown · 2010-07-01 19:40:59

As I understand, new version of pm-utils have conflict with laptop-mode-tools

1.4.0 Release Announcement in http://pm-utils.freedesktop.org/wiki/
We include some basic power management hooks. The individual hooks can conflict with the ones provided by the laptop-mode-tools scripts, so you should either just remove laptop-mode-tools entirely or pick and choose between which package should handle what powersaving functionality. More hooks to handle powersave functionality we do not currently handle are welcome, provided they are general enough to apply across a wide range of use cases.

After update pm-utils, my laptop can´t suspend to ram normally... So, after think and think, I tried removing the laptop-mode-tools daemon, and now all work ok again.

rent0n · 2010-07-02 08:46:54

takedown wrote:

As I understand, new version of pm-utils have conflict with laptop-mode-tools
1.4.0 Release Announcement in http://pm-utils.freedesktop.org/wiki/
We include some basic power management hooks. The individual hooks can conflict with the ones provided by the laptop-mode-tools scripts, so you should either just remove laptop-mode-tools entirely or pick and choose between which package should handle what powersaving functionality. More hooks to handle powersave functionality we do not currently handle are welcome, provided they are general enough to apply across a wide range of use cases.
After update pm-utils, my laptop can´t suspend to ram normally... So, after think and think, I tried removing the laptop-mode-tools daemon, and now all work ok again.

Uhm...too bad.
I would like to have pm-utils just to suspend/hibernate and laptop-mode-tools to control power management.
Isn't this possible anymore?

takedown · 2010-07-02 14:38:32

You can create void hook that replace the original pm-utils hook, like this:
touch /etc/pm/power.d/journal-commit

In this way, you avoid the original hook, preventing this function.

The original hooks are in:
/usr/lib/pm-utils/power.d
/usr/lib/pm-utils/sleep.d

You can overwrite this hooks under:
/etc/pm/power.d
/etc/pm/sleep.d

rent0n · 2010-07-03 09:34:33

takedown wrote:

You can create void hook that replace the original pm-utils hook, like this:
touch /etc/pm/power.d/journal-commit
In this way, you avoid the original hook, preventing this function.
The original hooks are in:
/usr/lib/pm-utils/power.d
/usr/lib/pm-utils/sleep.d
You can overwrite this hooks under:
/etc/pm/power.d
/etc/pm/sleep.d

I see, thanks, that's a nice workaround.

rent0n · 2010-07-03 09:35:32

takedown wrote:

You can create void hook that replace the original pm-utils hook, like this:
touch /etc/pm/power.d/journal-commit
In this way, you avoid the original hook, preventing this function.
The original hooks are in:
/usr/lib/pm-utils/power.d
/usr/lib/pm-utils/sleep.d
You can overwrite this hooks under:
/etc/pm/power.d
/etc/pm/sleep.d

I see, thanks, that's a nice workaround.
Though, I must say that I'm not having any problems with suspend / hibernate up to now.

pogeymanz · 2010-12-30 14:26:52

So I see that everyone uses cpufrequtils...

But isn't it a pain to slow down your processor when you're trying to work? Is there a lag/overhead that comes from it switching frequencies?

I'm getting decent enough battery life, but more is always better.

SiD · 2010-12-30 14:36:35

/etc/rc.local wrote:

echo ondemand > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor
echo 1 > /sys/module/snd_ac97_codec/parameters/power_save

and undervolted CPU (patched speedstep-centrino kernel module)

Last edited by SiD (2010-12-30 15:07:32)

Arch Linux

#26 2010-03-30 09:31:36

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#27 2010-03-30 22:21:50

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#28 2010-03-30 23:12:08

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#29 2010-03-31 03:23:49

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#30 2010-06-26 21:16:09

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#31 2010-06-27 04:32:39

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#32 2010-06-27 07:24:33

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#33 2010-06-27 11:40:46

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#34 2010-06-27 16:06:15

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#35 2010-06-27 16:32:17

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#36 2010-06-27 16:46:22

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#37 2010-06-27 19:34:03

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#38 2010-06-28 00:24:56

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#39 2010-07-01 17:07:29

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#40 2010-07-01 17:30:49

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#41 2010-07-01 19:40:59

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#42 2010-07-02 08:46:54

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#43 2010-07-02 14:38:32

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#44 2010-07-03 09:34:33

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#45 2010-07-03 09:35:32

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#46 2010-12-30 14:26:52

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

#47 2010-12-30 14:36:35

Re: [Poll] Power Management Solution?

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