FS#7238 - disable config_irqbalance to save power.

Attached to Project: Arch Linux
Opened by Björn Martensen (baze) - Tuesday, 22 May 2007, 19:33 GMT
Last edited by Tobias Powalowski (tpowa) - Friday, 25 May 2007, 17:56 GMT
Task Type Feature Request
Category Kernel
Status Closed
Assigned To Tobias Powalowski (tpowa)
Architecture All
Severity Medium
Priority Normal
Reported Version 2007.05 Duke
Due in Version Undecided
Due Date Undecided
Percent Complete 100%
Votes 0
Private No

Details

i tried intel's powertop earlier this evening with a self built kernel (only modified the stock kernel's config file and rebuilt) and when i got the detailed status information from powertop, it suggested to disable the kernel's ircbalance:

"Suggestion: Disable the CONFIG_IRQBALANCE kernel configuration option.
The in-kernel irq balancer is obsolete and wakes the CPU up far more than needed."

i did that and rebuilt the kernel again, and it saved a few Watt on my T60, resulting in longer battery life. since this balancer is obsolete anyway according to intel, i suggest to disable that thing for the stock kernel completely.
This task depends upon

Closed by  Tobias Powalowski (tpowa)
Friday, 25 May 2007, 17:56 GMT
Reason for closing:  Implemented
Comment by Jan de Groot (JGC) - Tuesday, 22 May 2007, 21:44 GMT
Seems this feature is obsolete nowadays. There's a userspace daemon called irqbalanced that implements the same thing. This option, according to description, would be useful to servers with multiple CPUs, but as the userspace daemon can achieve the same thing, I would say: rip it out.

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