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Linux Kernel Suffering Power Management Regression?

Posted by Soulskill on from the year-of-linux-on-the-coppertop dept.

An anonymous reader writes "It appears that there's a big power management regression in the Linux kernel for the 2.6.38 and 2.6.39 development releases, including the kernel to ship with Ubuntu 11.04 next week. It's reportedly causing a 10~30% increase in power consumption on many laptop computers."

14 of 186 comments (clear)

  1. Only Power Users will notice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think this is something that only Power Users will notice. It's not something important for the common user.

    1. Re:Only Power Users will notice by drb226 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I think this is something that only Power Users will notice. It's not something important for the common user.

      I think a lot of people would notice if their laptop suddenly got a third less battery life.

      Excuse me sir, I believe your pun detector is broken.

    2. Re:Only Power Users will notice by asdf7890 · · Score: 3, Informative

      And I've just noticed the pun. Somebody mod me "too slow on the uptake".

    3. Re:Only Power Users will notice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      He might not have the capacity to appreciate such humor.

    4. Re:Only Power Users will notice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      your continued resistance to puns is growing alarming

    5. Re:Only Power Users will notice by Anthony+Mouse · · Score: 3, Informative

      vista came on this laptop. there are NO xp drivers.

      There are actually entire lines of computers that came with Vista but were too slow to actually run either it or Windows 7 properly, and at the same time are too new for anyone to have made XP drivers. Like half the computers sold with Vista before 2009 or so.

      Never had any problems running Ubuntu on them though.

  2. Re:Linus Torvalds and regression? by asdf7890 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is presumably not an intentional regression though, more likely just some new/updated code that is causing the CPU to be more busy when the machine is effectively idle than it was previously. It isn't like someone said "hey, Linus, do you mind if I make the kernel eat more power?"!

  3. Re:Linus Torvalds and regression? by h4rr4r · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Ever notice it is only Phoronix reporting that?
    When did steam come to linux again?

    Sorry, but I want to see this backed up another source before I just go believing it.

  4. Re:Linus Torvalds and regression? by Kjella · · Score: 4, Informative

    Well, what Linus is focused on is breaking user code - if it worked in a released kernel, you will not break it in any future kernel. I don't think there's any strict rule that performance must always be better or power consumption lower. Particularly if you're not doing something "right" and have to add additional checks/locks/synchronization for corner cases that can slow you down, they generally value correctness over performance. That's the case in many of Phoronix' sensationalist news, a development release is very fast but when you make it work 'right' the performance is no longer that impressive. That stuff will happen as close to the bleeding edge as most of the things they report on are. Of course, they do find real regressions too but it's easy to get the wrong impression...

    --
    Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
  5. Moronix test suite by Sene · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Would be handy if the suite (or the user) would actually produce graphs with different enough colors to make sense which line is which...

  6. Re:Linus Torvalds and regression? by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Ever notice it is only Phoronix reporting that?

    Do you know of any other organization with a large automated regression testing system for linux kernels? That's not just me being snarky, its a serious question - who else beside phoronix is doing this sort of wide-scale testing on a constant basis?

    --
    When information is power, privacy is freedom.
  7. Re:Overheating probs by bmo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    >you think you need a new machine

    Either that or open it up and blow out the dust.

    Works wonders for overheating, dontchaknow.

    Cheap/easy fixes first. Always.

    --
    BMO

  8. CAN WE STOP POSTING THIS VILE PHORONIX CRAP!? by RichiH · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Phoronix is shit. Pure, grade-A shit. Worthless.

    They have _nothing_ of value to add to anything. Sensationalist crap which is not reported elsewhere, _because it it not an issue_.

    Regressions in the development kernels are part of the process. Even actively trying to avoid Phoronix, I have seen tons of those non-news about some random regression and the breathless follow-up that, lo surprise, they didn't just release but fix the issue. Woooooo!

    Phoronix is shit and it should be blacklisted globally on Slashdot and anywhere else. Stop linking to them, stop commenting on them (other than making others aware of this).

    Rant over.

  9. how about basic features by perotbot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I lost the ability to hibernate my machines in the last few kernels, how about fixing that?

    --
    ~corporate tool, but employed~