Bug#282827: incorrect processor speed detection

[dee <deetee@diversity-radio.net>]

Package: kernel
Version: 2.4.25

I am running debian kernel 2.4.25 (in the form of demudi:
2.4.25-1-multimedia-686) on a toshiba portege 7140CT laptop

I am having a strange and very impeding issue which is that on boot the
processor is sometimes misdiagnosed at a slower speed (and then my machine
really does run slower!)

So right now:
Detected 258.913 MHz processor.

and previously
Detected 497.570 MHz processor.
(which would be about right)

also I've had a 381MHz detection.

I've googled a bit, and have concluded that whilst it could be the bios
settings relating to battery power-saving modes it is _not_ this
because
i) the BIOS battery setting is set to proceesor speed=high
ii) this problem doesn't seem to be related to being disconnected from
AC power. Right now at 259MHz for example, I'm on the mains (& was at
boot)

I would be happy to provide more information and run diagnostics

I was not aware of this having happened with earlier kernels (eg 2.4.18,
2.4.20, but it _may_ have been that i missed this ??) Alternatively maybe
my hardware is just being flaky... as I said I'm happy to try to diagnose,
but will need some pointers.

(this message has also gone to debian-laptop and debian-users but as yet i
have had no replies, I am thus reporting a bug, as I can't find anything
else related on google.)

thanks
dee
----

Other info:
libc6: 2.3.2.ds1-13

more info from dmesg:

Initializing CPU#0
Detected 258.913 MHz processor.
Console: colour VGA+ 80x25
Calibrating delay loop... 504.62 BogoMIPS
Memory: 122900k/130944k available (1218k kernel code, 7656k reserved, 504k
data, 100k init, 0k highmem)
Dentry cache hash table entries: 16384 (order: 5, 131072 bytes)
Inode cache hash table entries: 8192 (order: 4, 65536 bytes)
Mount cache hash table entries: 512 (order: 0, 4096 bytes)
Buffer cache hash table entries: 4096 (order: 2, 16384 bytes)
Page-cache hash table entries: 32768 (order: 5, 131072 bytes)
CPU: L1 I cache: 16K, L1 D cache: 16K
CPU: L2 cache: 256K
CPU:     After generic, caps: 0383f9ff 00000000 00000000 00000000
CPU:             Common caps: 0383f9ff 00000000 00000000 00000000
Enabling fast FPU save and restore... done.
Enabling unmasked SIMD FPU exception support... done.
Checking 'hlt' instruction... OK.
POSIX conformance testing by UNIFIX
CPU: L1 I cache: 16K, L1 D cache: 16K
CPU: L2 cache: 256K
CPU:     After generic, caps: 0383f9ff 00000000 00000000 00000000
CPU:             Common caps: 0383f9ff 00000000 00000000 00000000
CPU0: Intel Pentium III (Coppermine) stepping 01
per-CPU timeslice cutoff: 731.56 usecs.
SMP motherboard not detected.
Local APIC not detected. Using dummy APIC emulation.