undervolting AMD Turion using cpupowerd

[bluebear]

SMAX3 thanks for a really nice program!
I´m doing my best spreading the word around. The only wish now is for underclocking as well. That would be supernice.
Thanks again!

[smax3]

Today, cpupowerd 0.2.0 was released.

A start script for linux is now available.
For more details read the CHANGELOG and README files.

Download cpupowerd under sorceforge.

[quazar]

I have been struggeling getting cpupowerd to work, these tips might be useful for newbies like me

First install cpupowerd according to the readme file

- make the modules msr, cpufreq_userspace, and powernow-k8 start at bootup, otherwise cpupowerd wont work:

$ sudo gedit /etc/modules

# /etc/modules: kernel modules to load at boot time.
#
# This file contains the names of kernel modules that should be loaded
# at boot time, one per line. Lines beginning with "#" are ignored.

fuse
lp
rtc
msr
cpufreq_userspace
powernow-k8

after a reboot cpupowerd should work, to test this type:

$sudo cpupowerd -s

- to get cpupowerd to run from startup, the script cpupowerd.sh (in the tools folder) needs to e run at start-up.
1) edit the script if your cupowerd.conf file is not located at /etc/cpupowerd.conf
change the line accordingly:

"CPUPOWERD_STARTPARAMETERS="-d -c /etc/cpupowerd.conf"

2) copy the script to the folder etc/init.d/ directory
3) activate the script:

sudo update-rc.d cpupowerd.sh defaults 
sudo chmod +x cpupowerd.sh

[Lockheed]

I'm trying to run this program but all I get is

WARNING: This program could cause damage to your Hardware!
MSR-File </dev/cpu/0/msr> doesn't exist, please load the msr kernel module!
Initialisation failed!

How do I install this? It is nowhere in Synaptic.

[matthewbpt]

I'm trying to run this program but all I get is

WARNING: This program could cause damage to your Hardware!
MSR-File </dev/cpu/0/msr> doesn't exist, please load the msr kernel module!
Initialisation failed!

How do I install this? It is nowhere in Synaptic.

Try running

sudo modprobe msr

then run cpupowerd again

-matt

[Lockheed]

Great! I got everything working now with the help of this HOWTO: http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums...=427710#428506

Still, it would be even better if intermediary frequencies worked.

[Lockheed]

I though I had it but I guess I don't.

powercpud behaves erratic. If computer iddles everything is fine, the voltage is just as I set it. However, if there is some heavy load there are two high frequency voltage scenarios that happen just equally often:

1. the voltage I set (0.9v)
2. the stock voltage (1.1v)

Now, what I say is not confirmed and it just my gut feeling:if the load is heavier than, say 80%, the voltage for 1600Mhz goes to 1.1. If it is lower, 1600Mhz stays at 0.9v.

I have no idea why. Any ideas?

[hegoburu]

i have a question... i have a AMD Turion X2 running jaunty 64 bits... and when running cpupowerd i get

Your AMD CPU isn't supported yet (cpuid: 0x200F31)!
Initialisation failed!

Is there anything to be done or i am busted until it is supported?

Thanks!!

[nema.arpit]

There are no modules for cpufreq or powernow-k8.. how do I get them?

arpit@arpit-laptop:~$ sudo modprobe cpufreq
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/oss-compat, it will be ignored in a future release.
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base, it will be ignored in a future release.
FATAL: Module cpufreq not found.
arpit@arpit-laptop:~$ sudo modprobe powernow-k8
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/oss-compat, it will be ignored in a future release.
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base, it will be ignored in a future release.
FATAL: Module powernow_k8 not found.

My kernel is 2.6.28.14,running Jaunty 64bit AMD Turion X2 rm-72.
Current power management using kpowersave.
Oh and how do i measure the temperatures .. I tried xsensors but it does not work.

ps. any ideas about those warnings?

[jasmineaura]

There are no modules for cpufreq or powernow-k8.. how do I get them?
My kernel is 2.6.28.14,running Jaunty 64bit AMD Turion X2 rm-72.
Current power management using kpowersave.
Oh and how do i measure the temperatures .. I tried xsensors but it does not work.

ps. any ideas about those warnings?

The stock "generic" kernel has all these compiled into the kernel, and not as modules, so if you need them as modules instead of compiled in the kernel (as required by another tool: linux-phc.org) then you have to reconfigure and compile the kernel from kernel sources....

sudo apt-get install linux-source-`uname -r`

Add your username to the "src" group:

usermod -a -G src yourusername

then:

cd /usr/src
tar xzf linux-source-`uname -r`.tar.gz
cd linux-source-`uname -r`
make menuconfig

Then in menuconfig, go to:
Power management and ACPI options --->
enable the following menu/item (CONFIG_CPU_FREQ=y) and enter it:
CPU Frequency scaling --->

Make sure you choose as module (Marked as [M]) at least the following:
powernow-k8
freq-table
cpufreq-stats
cpufreq-userspace
cpufreq-conservative
cpufreq-ondemand
cpufreq-powersave

Then build your kernel and prepare a .deb of your newly compiled kernel with

fakeroot make-kpkg --initrd --append-to-version=-custom1 --revision=1.0 kernel-image kernel-headers

then install the linux-image and linux-headers packages created in the top directory (/usr/src typically)

cd ..
sudo dpkg -i *.deb

For brief tutorial, see:
http://www.linux-phc.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=67

Edit:
for the temperatures monitoring, I use sensors-applet in gnome (easily added to the panel by right clicking and click Add to Panel), then right click the newly added sensors-applet and click preferences, go to sensors tab, expand "libsensors" category and choose your CPU and cores (check them), and you can also expand "nvidia" if you're running the proprietary nvidia driver and check your GPU as well to monitor its temperature too..

good luck