Re: Power management on older laptop.

[Chris Jones <cjns1989@gmail.com>]

On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 08:01:14PM EDT, s. keeling wrote:
> Chris Jones <cjns1989@gmail.com>:
> >  This is an old Dell Inspiron 7500 with an Intel PIII - (Coppermine)
> >  running debian 'lenny'. 
> > 
> >  The hardware supports an early version of the SpeedStep technology that
> >  makes it possible to switch clocking between 650MHz and 500MHz. This is
> >  normally done via a BIOS option where the focus appears to be on battery
> >  life.
> > 
> >  Since the batteries are long dead and will not be replaced, I'm more
> >  looking into trying to lower the laptop's temperature a bit by having it
> >  either throttle the CPU, or put to sleep whatever components are not
> >  strictly necessary, when I'm not using the system.. or doing what I'm
> 
> I think you're on the right track.  Here's what I have on AMD-64 bit.
> 
> (0) infidel /home/keeling_ lsmod | grep cpu
> cpufreq_userspace       8452  0
> cpufreq_stats           9120  0
> cpufreq_powersave       6400  0
> cpufreq_ondemand       11792  2
> cpufreq_conservative    11784  0
> freq_table              9344  3 cpufreq_stats,cpufreq_ondemand,powernow_k8
> 
> Replace that powernow_k8 with what you need, ...

Thanks. 

Modprobed everything in sight that looked like it might have something
to do with this issue, and lsmod now gives me this:

cpufreq_ondemand        6476  0
cpufreq_userspace       3172  0
cpufreq_stats           3776  0
freq_table              4224  2 cpufreq_ondemand,cpufreq_stats
cpufreq_powersave       1856  0
cpufreq_conservative    5960  0

I proceeded to apt-get cpufreqd cpufrequtils again and cpufreqd dies with a:

Starting CPU Frequency daemon: cpufreqd failed!
CPUFreq Utilities: Setting ondemand CPUFreq governor...disabled, governor not available...done.

Looks like a lost cause to me.

CJ