Bug#404143: Fans unreliable under load, permanent memory leak

[maximilian attems <maks@sternwelten.at>]

On Tue, Dec 26, 2006 at 06:09:02PM -0800, Jurij Smakov wrote:
> On Sun, Dec 24, 2006 at 03:07:55AM +0100, Frederik Schueler wrote:
> > 
> > Hi *,
> > 
> > this is indeed a severe issue which requires all our attention and care
> > to solve or circumvent in order for nobodies boxes to get any harm, you
> > know how expensive these laptops are.
> > 
> > I basically see 3 solutions/workarounds:
> > 
> > 1. the brutal one: deactivate ACPI in 2.6.18, have the bios keep control
> > of the fans - better a noisy laptop until I upgrade the kernel than a
> > fried box.
> > 
> > 2. port 2.6.19 ACPI - noop because way too much work, unless someone 
> > "crazy enough" to accomplish this task.
> 
> I have reviewed the information available on the thermal problems with 
> HP laptops, and it appears that there is a fairly conservative set of 
> patches which takes care of the problems (thanks to Bas for pointing 
> most of the out). I might have missed some upstream bugs, so please 
> let me know if there is anything else available on the issue. Below is 
> the summary, describing the relevant patches:

i nack the mentioned patches!

backports are risky, again as you see for the net-r8169-1.patch,
that is a "localized" driver enhancement with big slow down consequences
#400524 and #403782. yes upstream has a fix for that and it should
land soon, but still no one else bothered yet.

the acpi patches may solve the troubles with those stupid HP laptops,
but they have _certainly_ side effects.
if you look at the acpi commits of this day you see that they broke
a toshiba laptop.


back to the facts
* the sarge kernel was released with *huge* thermal problems
  and without any userspace help for early loading
* the etch 2.6.18 linux acpi supports *many* thermal boxes
  thermal hooks load modules at earliest possible stage
* acpi releases have regression tests that are only run
  for the complete release itself

the sanest way is to disable acpi for the affected laptops
and push a newer linux in a point release.
playing with acpi fire is not appropriate for a stable release.

 
-- 
maks