Frequency scaling, Dell Inspiron 6000

Frequency scaling, Dell Inspiron 6000

[Sune Mølgaard]

Around the time of 2.6.17, I noticed that this machine would no longer 
scale it's frequency as it used to (i.e. it wouldn't at all, it would 
before). Furthermore, It reported an internal temperature somewhat near 
10 centigrade higher than before, leading to increased fan noise.

I am uncertain of whether it used to scale using the speedstep-centrino 
module or another one, but found a remark on google on a similar problem 
stating that it appeared "...after speedstep-centrino had it's guts 
ripped out in 2.6.18..." (cited from memory).

The CPU of the machine is labeled as centrino compliant, but is in fact 
a Celeron-M, and hence does not support _Enhanced_ Speedstep. However, I 
clearly remember having frequency scaling working with Ubuntu kernel 
2.6.15, but failing with Ubuntu 2.6.17 (possibly with some 2.6.18 code 
backported).

Venkatesh Pallipadi did some analysis of the BIOS, and posted a message 
to 
http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=insp_bios&thread.id=38979 
, however no replies came forth. I am uncertain as to whether I upgraded 
the kernel or the bios first, but I think it was kernel first.

I am taking this matter up again, as I have given the machine to my gf, 
who complains about the fan noise, which I imagine will be less of a 
problem, if the cpu is frequency scaled.

I hope for anyone to take an interest and advise as to what info I 
should provide.

Best regards,

Sune Mølgaard

-- 
A motorcycle is a combination of pony, blow dryer, and vibrator - 
perfect for girls of all ages.
- Colin MacDonald
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Re: Frequency scaling, Dell Inspiron 6000

[Matthew Garrett]

On Sun, Jul 29, 2007 at 04:03:31PM +0200, Sune Mølgaard wrote:

> The CPU of the machine is labeled as centrino compliant, but is in fact 
> a Celeron-M, and hence does not support _Enhanced_ Speedstep. However, I 
> clearly remember having frequency scaling working with Ubuntu kernel 
> 2.6.15, but failing with Ubuntu 2.6.17 (possibly with some 2.6.18 code 
> backported).

It doesn't support Speedstep at all. You were probably using p4-clockmod 
in the past, which is a mechanism for temperature control rather than 
any sort of useful power saving.

-- 
Matthew Garrett | mjg59@srcf.ucam.org
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Re: Frequency scaling, Dell Inspiron 6000

[Sune Mølgaard]

Matthew Garrett wrote:
> On Sun, Jul 29, 2007 at 04:03:31PM +0200, Sune Mølgaard wrote:
> 
>> The CPU of the machine is labeled as centrino compliant, but is in fact 
>> a Celeron-M, and hence does not support _Enhanced_ Speedstep. However, I 
>> clearly remember having frequency scaling working with Ubuntu kernel 
>> 2.6.15, but failing with Ubuntu 2.6.17 (possibly with some 2.6.18 code 
>> backported).
> 
> It doesn't support Speedstep at all. You were probably using p4-clockmod 
> in the past, which is a mechanism for temperature control rather than 
> any sort of useful power saving.

Hi Matthew, and thanks for answering,

This might be as you describe, as I don't know which module was used 
when it worked.

However, I got a warning dialogue window from the GNOME powernowd applet 
about frequency scaling being unavailable upon the kernel upgrade, not 
upon an upgrade of powernowd as one might suspect, if powernowd suddenly 
seized to support p4-clockmod.

If I had bought the laptop today and encountered the problems, I would 
probably reach the same conclusion as you, but IIRC powernowd doesn't 
cooperate with p4-clockmod, and it was a kernel upgrade that made it 
complain.

I stated earlier that I didn't recall if the BIOS or the kernel upgrade 
came first, but digging into my memory of events, plus my normal way of 
dealing with problems, I am now fairly sure that the kernel upgrade 
borked frequency scaling (or clockmod, which I still find unlikely), 
prompting the BIOS upgrade.

Best regards,

Sune Mølgaard

-- 
Men will wrangle for religion; write for it; fight for it; die for it; 
anything but live for it.
- Charles Caleb Colton
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Re: Frequency scaling, Dell Inspiron 6000

[Matthew Garrett]

On Mon, Jul 30, 2007 at 03:26:24PM +0200, Sune Mølgaard wrote:

> If I had bought the laptop today and encountered the problems, I would 
> probably reach the same conclusion as you, but IIRC powernowd doesn't 
> cooperate with p4-clockmod, and it was a kernel upgrade that made it 
> complain.

powernowd works fine with p4-clockmod, but that doesn't change the major 
point - Celerons don't support any form of Speedstep.

-- 
Matthew Garrett | mjg59@srcf.ucam.org
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Re: Frequency scaling, Dell Inspiron 6000

[Sune Mølgaard]

Matthew Garrett wrote:
> On Mon, Jul 30, 2007 at 03:26:24PM +0200, Sune Mølgaard wrote:
> 
>> If I had bought the laptop today and encountered the problems, I would 
>> probably reach the same conclusion as you, but IIRC powernowd doesn't 
>> cooperate with p4-clockmod, and it was a kernel upgrade that made it 
>> complain.
> 
> powernowd works fine with p4-clockmod, but that doesn't change the major 
> point - Celerons don't support any form of Speedstep.
> 

Well, still (and this may be a topic for discussion on a powernowd ml) I 
encountered a powernowd failure as a result of a kernel upgrade and 
_not_ as a result of a powernowd upgrade. Do you know why this may be so?

Thanks,

Sune

-- 
This isn't right, this isn't even wrong.
- Wolfgang Pauli (1900-1958) , upon reading a young physicist's paper
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Re: Frequency scaling, Dell Inspiron 6000

[Matthew Garrett]

On Mon, Jul 30, 2007 at 08:18:30PM +0200, Sune Mølgaard wrote:

> Well, still (and this may be a topic for discussion on a powernowd ml) I 
> encountered a powernowd failure as a result of a kernel upgrade and 
> _not_ as a result of a powernowd upgrade. Do you know why this may be so?

No. Using powernowd is an invitation to waste battery life, in any case.
-- 
Matthew Garrett | mjg59@srcf.ucam.org
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Re: Frequency scaling, Dell Inspiron 6000

[Sune Mølgaard]

Matthew Garrett wrote:
> On Mon, Jul 30, 2007 at 08:18:30PM +0200, Sune Mølgaard wrote:
> 
>> Well, still (and this may be a topic for discussion on a powernowd ml) I 
>> encountered a powernowd failure as a result of a kernel upgrade and 
>> _not_ as a result of a powernowd upgrade. Do you know why this may be so?
> 
> No. Using powernowd is an invitation to waste battery life, in any case.

Ok, so in order to utilize p4-clockmod and get a lower temperature =>
lower fan noise, do I just load the module? Or what more do I do?

Best regards,

Sune

-- 
One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly
making exciting discoveries.
- A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

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Re: Frequency scaling, Dell Inspiron 6000

[Matthew Garrett]

On Mon, Jul 30, 2007 at 08:32:18PM +0200, Sune Mølgaard wrote:

> Ok, so in order to utilize p4-clockmod and get a lower temperature =>
> lower fan noise, do I just load the module? Or what more do I do?

Yes, and make sure that /devices/system/cpu/*/cpufreq/scaling_governor 
is set to ondemand or conservative.

-- 
Matthew Garrett | mjg59@srcf.ucam.org
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Re: Frequency scaling, Dell Inspiron 6000

[Sune Mølgaard]

Matthew Garrett wrote:
> On Mon, Jul 30, 2007 at 08:32:18PM +0200, Sune Mølgaard wrote:
> 
>> Ok, so in order to utilize p4-clockmod and get a lower temperature =>
>> lower fan noise, do I just load the module? Or what more do I do?
> 
> Yes, and make sure that /devices/system/cpu/*/cpufreq/scaling_governor 
> is set to ondemand or conservative.
> 

Ok, thank you. That seems to work :-)

Best regards,

Sune

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