# Can't enable CPU frequency scaling! [SOLVED]

## SolidSnakex28

I can't enable CPU frequency scaling. I tried a topic like this before, but I reformatted. I have a new kernel now so I decided to make a new topic.

I can't select a driver for my processor (Pentium M) and I can't enable Power Management Support. I use gentoo-sources 2.6.14-gentoo-r5. What could be the cause here? I am a genkernel user, btw.Last edited by SolidSnakex28 on Sun Jan 29, 2006 12:34 am; edited 1 time in total

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## acturneruk

How do you mean, you can't select a driver or enable Power Management Support?  You mean you can't find a driver that works, or there isn't anything to select?  What errors are you getting, dmesg etc?

Cheers,

Andrew

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## SolidSnakex28

1. I can't enable "Power Management Support" in the kernel.

2. I can't select a CPU scaling driver for my processor.

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## jomen

This sounds very weird to me.

I have not used genkernel - but just for the fun of it and to see, what you see - I emerged it and tried...

The last few lines on install gave a little hint to the documentation available here:

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/genkernel.xml

I took the first example (No. 2) out by copy and paste - and within a few seconds, I was where I've always been when configuring a kernel - in the screen of "make menuconfig"

nothing new or different - so:

You cannot mark or unmark items there - can not move through categories there?

What where you doing and how? 

Which kernel are you trying to configure?

It seems obvoius that you have to be root to run this command...

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## acturneruk

 *SolidSnakex28 wrote:*   

> 1. I can't enable "Power Management Support" in the kernel.
> 
> 2. I can't select a CPU scaling driver for my processor.

 

Yes, so you said.  But you need to give us a bit more information to work with...

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## SolidSnakex28

No, I cannot unmark or mark the option "Power Management Support." It's marked "---". I can however navigate the categories under it. I haven't altered the kernel at all since I installed it, this is a kernel 2.6.14-gentoo-r5, and yeah, I'm root.

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## jomen

this is not marked - it is the header (I'm not sure, if its the right word - like a title...) for the options underneath it...

things with an arrow open another submenu (RETURN) with more options - move to an option with up/down arrow and select/deselect it by pressing SPACE on it

on the bottom of the page there is a menu:  <Select>    < Exit >    < Help >

use this with right/left arrow and RETURN to confirm your choice - you need to exit to come back up one level

select: Legacy Power Management API

go to: ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) Support  ---> and press RETURN on it --> new choices

select: ACPI Support + Sleep States + AC Adapter + Battery + Button + Video + Fan + Processor + Thermal Zone --> exit

select: CPU Frequency scaling 

there select: CPU Frequency scaling + CPU frequency translation statistics + mybe all the gouvernors...but you just need 'ondemand' cpufreq policy governor 

select also: Intel Enhanced SpeedStep + Use ACPI tables to decode valid frequency/voltage pairs + Built-in tables for Banias CPUs

go up a bit and select: Default CPUFreq governor and select one - I have: (X) performance

(I have the same CPU as you have...

thats it - still needs a little configuration later - when you are running this kernel - but for this part - I think, you know how it is done now

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## SolidSnakex28

 *jomen wrote:*   

> this is not marked - it is the header (I'm not sure, if its the right word - like a title...) for the options underneath it...
> 
> things with an arrow open another submenu (RETURN) with more options - move to an option with up/down arrow and select/deselect it by pressing SPACE on it
> 
> on the bottom of the page there is a menu:  <Select>    < Exit >    < Help >
> ...

 

Thanks alot, but I knew that about the submenus and all. What I meant was that I couldn't enter the submenu; it's marked with "---" not "--->". What I can't select is "CPUFreq processor and drivers" and "Power Management Support". Both are marked "---", and I can't select them with either y, return, or space.

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## jomen

if it is --- then its just a marker - not a submenu - those are --->

This is the page - right?

```
--- Power Management support 

[ ]   Power Management Debug Support

[*] Software Suspend  

()    Default resume partition   

ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) Support  --->

APM (Advanced Power Management) BIOS Support  --->    

CPU Frequency scaling  ---> 
```

you go to the last option - RETURN

on the next page - about in the middle - is:

---   CPUFreq processor drivers 

you can't select this - its like a chapter-header on a page - below are optoins - and above too

it should look like that - when you are finished:

```
[*] CPU Frequency scaling 

[ ]   Enable CPUfreq debugging 

 <*>   CPU frequency translation statistics 

[*]     CPU frequency translation statistics details

      Default CPUFreq governor (performance)  ---> 

---   'performance' governor 

< >   'powersave' governor

< >   'userspace' governor for userspace frequency scaling

<*>   'ondemand' cpufreq policy governor

< >   'conservative' cpufreq governor

---   CPUFreq processor drivers 

< >   ACPI Processor P-States driver 

< >   AMD Mobile K6-2/K6-3 PowerNow! 

< >   AMD Mobile Athlon/Duron PowerNow!

< >   AMD Opteron/Athlon64 PowerNow!

< >   Cyrix MediaGX/NatSemi Geode Suspend Modulation

<*>   Intel Enhanced SpeedStep   

[*]     Use ACPI tables to decode valid frequency/voltage pairs

[*]     Built-in tables for Banias CPUs 
```

and the rest is unchecked

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## SolidSnakex28

That's it, however I don't have "Software Suspend Support" or "Default Resume Partition". Also, in the CPU Frequency Scaling, I have the "powersave" and "userspace" governors enabled, along with "conservative cpufreq governor". "Built in support for Banias CPU" is not included. Do I add/remove these features as appropriate?

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## GNUtoo

this is strange

i suppose your kernel source aren't corupt from downloading (gentoo md5 all packages) but mabe your hdd has corupt theses sources

or mabe check the dependencies of the frequency scalling

for example an usb network device need usb and network in order to be possibily selected (the [*])

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## GNUtoo

simply try :

make xconfig

instead of make menuconfig

that will be clearer because me too i've the ---

that's because you just can't select it:

it's a cathegory not an option

xconfig is a lot better and easyer because you have the help on screen while on menuconfig you have to "click" on help each time you want to look at it

menuconfig is only suitable for people who already knows by heart most of the options they will choose (so help will help them on rare ocasions)

by the way it's acpi that you must selectLast edited by GNUtoo on Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:25 am; edited 1 time in total

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## SolidSnakex28

Thanks but it's definitely not corrupt; I've had this problem on many different installs, and on 2.6.12, and now 2.6.14. The dependencies though, how do I check for those?

EDIT: Lemme check that now...

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## GNUtoo

forget the dependencies

first try:

make xconfig

then stay in make xconfig and if there is a problem of dependencies the line will be gray and not black

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## SolidSnakex28

Ok, I'm not sure if the fact that I'm a genkernel user makes any difference because I don't use "make menuconfig" I use "genkernel --menuconfig all". Just for you to keep in mind.

I tried the make xconfig, and I was able to get "Power Management Support" working, however "CPUFreq Processor Drivers" to work, and it appears in black, not grey.

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## jomen

to remove anything that is - just maybe - screwed or preventing you to configure it cleanly you can do this:

go to you kernels source directory

```
cd /usr/src/linux
```

  -maybe append the kernel-version in case there is more than one installed

give this command:

```
make mrproper
```

this will clean up all configuration previously done - as well as anything previously compiled - you will have a completely clean - like new - kernel-source and can start with this

edit:  *Quote:*   

> I don't use "make menuconfig" I use "genkernel --menuconfig all"

 

this puts you in the same setup-screen as if you had done "make menuconfig" - only the steps afterwards are a bit automated to make things easierLast edited by jomen on Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:44 am; edited 1 time in total

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## GNUtoo

 *SolidSnakex28 wrote:*   

> Ok, I'm not sure if the fact that I'm a genkernel user makes any difference because I don't use "make menuconfig" I use "genkernel --menuconfig all". Just for you to keep in mind.
> 
> I tried the make xconfig, and I was able to get "Power Management Support" working, however "CPUFreq Processor Drivers" to work, and it appears in black, not grey.

 

???

I tried the make xconfig, and I was able to get "Power Management Support =>understood

however "CPUFreq Processor Drivers" to work, and it appears in black, not grey.=>???

didin't understood

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## SolidSnakex28

Done. Now what? 

EDIT

What I mean is that in "CPU Frequency Scaling" I can't pick anything for the option "CPUFreq Processor Drivers". The option (in make xconfig) appears in black, not grey (which you said meant I had dependency issues).Last edited by SolidSnakex28 on Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:45 am; edited 1 time in total

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## GNUtoo

stop and keep your config

don;t make mkproper

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## jomen

yes - not now anymore

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## SolidSnakex28

 *new_to_non_X86 wrote:*   

> stop and keep your config
> 
> don;t make mkproper

 

Too late  :Sad: . I ran genkernel not long before this, and that runs mrproper when it starts.

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## jomen

yes - when you start - but not after you finish and save the configuration   :Wink: 

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## jomen

besides - would you have done it like the guide suggested:

# genkernel --bootsplash --no-install --no-clean --menuconfig all

it would not have been done at all - thats why I suggested to do it once - manually

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## GNUtoo

http://kgdb.linsyssoft.com/images/xconfig-selection.jpg

that's an xconfig screenshot

box that you can tick

for example "kernel debugging"

->that is a driver that you select

another kind of box:

"kgdb kernel debugging with remote gbd"

->if you select that the cases that are under this line can be selected

and the one that is like yours is:

"compile kernel with debug info"

->that means that what's between this line and the next line that is the same kind of "compile kernel with debug info" are options about compiling kernel with debug info...

you can't select it

you must select cases that are under it...

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## GNUtoo

 *jomen wrote:*   

> besides - would you have done it like the guide suggested:
> 
> # genkernel --bootsplash --no-install --no-clean --menuconfig all
> 
> it would not have been done at all - thats why I suggested to do it once - manually

 

that's a gui problem...not a tecnical one...

jome : do a make menuconfig or make xconfig

and look at what is he talking about

you'll understand

you too you have the --- inside your kernel menuconfig/xconfig

i always wondered why they haven't put some screenshot on the gentoo kernel configuration guide...

that have avoided this kind of mistake...

evryone makes mistakes...

in my first kernel compilation (gentoo) i had makes some mistakes

an example is:

makes modules install

instead of make modules_install

and i didn't understand why a sound module didn't workk and thoat that i installed the modules corectly

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## jomen

new_to_non_X86

I was talking about this comment of him:

 *Quote:*   

> Too late . I ran genkernel not long before this, and that runs mrproper when it starts

 

-edit- and what I said was'nt at all meant to sound harsh or anything in that direction

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## GNUtoo

 *jomen wrote:*   

> new_to_non_X86
> 
> I was talking about this comment of him:
> 
>  *Quote:*   Too late . I ran genkernel not long before this, and that runs mrproper when it starts 
> ...

 

but now he will know a litle better how to configure his kernel

please if your problem is fixed:

*edit your first post

*add [fixed]

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## jomen

yes I think so - it takes a lot of reading, trying and also failing  - and asking too - to get to know things around linux - that is why it is good to have this forum - I would have saved myself from many mistakes - or at least it would not have been so hard to figure things out, could I have asked here when I was starting years ago...

Cheers

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## GNUtoo

 *jomen wrote:*   

> yes I think so - it takes a lot of reading, trying and also failing  - and asking too - to get to know things around linux - that is why it is good to have this forum - I would have saved myself from many mistakes - or at least it would not have been so hard to figure things out, could I have asked here when I was starting years ago...
> 
> Cheers

 

lol

i think that kernel compilation is the hardest thing in linux (partitionig can be solved with 1 partition for swap(can even be remplaced with a swap file) and one partition for the rest...)

if you don't know what driver select for a particular device i've a tip for sucedding

and i even think that gentoo is suitable for newbees

i sucedded and installed,used it comming from:

windows2000->dual-boot knoppix-cd->knoppix-hdd(with a lot of problem)->gentoo

i just read a lot of documentations from lea-linux(i understand french),manual,README files,howto...

by the way kernel compilation is very important for speed and functionality

you can add suport for a lot of things with the kernel and spped up your computerLast edited by GNUtoo on Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:28 am; edited 1 time in total

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## SolidSnakex28

So what I'm basically being told is that the options for CPUFreq processor drivers are:

ACPI Processor P States Driver

AMD Mobile...

AMD Mobile Athlon...

AMP Opteron...

Cyrix...

and so forth?

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## GNUtoo

 *SolidSnakex28 wrote:*   

> So what I'm basically being told is that the options for CPUFreq processor drivers are:
> 
> ACPI Processor P States Driver
> 
> AMD Mobile...
> ...

 

type:

cat /proc/cpuinfo

that will give information about your cpu

and post it here

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## SolidSnakex28

```
processor       : 0

vendor_id       : GenuineIntel

cpu family      : 6

model           : 13

model name      : Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor 1.73GHz

stepping        : 8

cpu MHz         : 1729.968

cache size      : 2048 KB

fdiv_bug        : no

hlt_bug         : no

f00f_bug        : no

coma_bug        : no

fpu             : yes

fpu_exception   : yes

cpuid level     : 2

wp              : yes

flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss tm pbe nx est tm2

bogomips        : 3465.89

```

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## GNUtoo

and type:

lspci

for knowing your chipset (and all pci,agp cards)

post it here

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## SolidSnakex28

```
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/PM/GMS/910GML Express Processor to DRAM Controller (rev 04)

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 04)

00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 04)

00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 04)

00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #1 (rev 04)

00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #2 (rev 04)

00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #3 (rev 04)

00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #4 (rev 04)

00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 04)

00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev d4)

00:1e.2 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 04)

00:1e.3 Modem: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) AC'97 Modem Controller (rev 04)

00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801FBM (ICH6M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 04)

00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) IDE Controller (rev 04)

00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 04)

06:05.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 2200BG (rev 05)

06:06.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCIxx21/x515 Cardbus Controller

06:06.2 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller

06:06.3 Mass storage controller: Texas Instruments PCIxx21 Integrated FlashMedia Controller

06:06.4 Class 0805: Texas Instruments PCI6411, PCI6421, PCI6611, PCI6621, PCI7411, PCI7421, PCI7611, PCI7621 Secure Digital (SD) Controller

06:07.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)

```

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## GNUtoo

for the cpu:

[*]Intel Enhanced SpeedStep

    [*]Use ACPI tables to decode valid frequency/voltage pairs

    [*]Built-in tables for Banias CPUs                    (if it's a banania pentium-m)

for the chipset:

[*]Intel Speedstep on ICH-M chipsets 

(i will verify it now)

and a big warning:

some people have destroyed their pentium-m laptop with gentoo:

dont't ever do too long compilation

theses people have done stage1 installation and their laptop weren't suited for this

mabe that's because the laptop weren't designed for such demanding aplication and the cooling was not designed for it

[/u]Last edited by GNUtoo on Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:39 am; edited 1 time in total

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## jomen

see the previous page - Intel enhanced speedstep and the two options below...

-edit-

I see you are doing fine - and I go to sleep now - with my new KDE-3.5.0 compiling in the meantime...

Cheers

-just saw it- edit-

mine survived a stage 1 install as well as open-office - which took ...almost equally long ...

bye

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## GNUtoo

normaly the i915 is an ich

but in the sources there is no mention if any "815,915" like chipset

but it's the good thing to select

select also all "governor" and the defaault governor to performance

then you'll need to eneable this in kde

check knoppix tutorial for doing it

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## GNUtoo

 *jomen wrote:*   

> see the previous page - Intel enhanced speedstep and the two options below...
> 
> -edit-
> 
> I see you are doing fine - and I go to sleep now - with my new KDE-3.5.0 compiling in the meantime...
> ...

 

wow

we must make a page in the wiki for the one who survived and the one who don't

the problem is also mentioned here:

http://jackass.homelinux.org/jackass/index.html

but i don't find it anymore...

and some things have changed on the website

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## SolidSnakex28

Ok, can someone tell me what's missing:

```
cpufreqd requires the kernel to be configured with CONFIG_CPU_FREQ
```

when I run 'rc' following the power management docs. What's going on?

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## GNUtoo

open a terminal

$su                  (in order to be root)

#echo "CONFIG_CPU_FREQ=1" >> /usr/src/linux/.config

then recompile your kernel with:

#cd /usr/src/linux

#make

a question

how did you "install" your kernel?

you have grub or lilo or another boot loader?

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## Noven

Kernel config issues - pay attention to the dependencies listed {in the info box} to ensure you have everything it requires. Or just $vi /usr/src/linux/.config . It's never given me any problems choosing what I want or don't. 

Destroying Pentium-m with big compiles - WTF? I've done a complete Jackass-inspired stage 1 from 3 w/ totally rebuilt toolchain - no problems. Add in all the progs and I've had continuous compiling going for >36hrs. Just make sure you turn your fan on {no end of little utilities to do it, even without a full system set up}. If there seriously are problems in that area I'd appreciate links to some posts about it - cause I might have survived thus far on sheer luck.

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## jomen

you where trying to build and install cpufreqd - a daemon which monitors CPU-usage and switches the frequency, right?

 *Quote:*   

> cpufreqd requires the kernel to be configured with CONFIG_CPU_FREQ

 

for this to even compile you need to have your kernel configured with the things we where talking about - the drivers and gouvernors in the kernel, which make changing the frequency possible (and for it to work, you need to be running this kernel, of course)

-edit

maybe an error on my part: could have just been a message to remind you, that you will need to have these things enabled in you current kernel, else it would - of course - not do anything for you.

It probably checks your current kernel-configuration for these options to be enabled and emits this warning, if they are not - or it just issues this message as standard to remind you...

--edit

One thing I want to add - you don't need to bother with this daemon (cpufreqd) with your CPU - it works perfectly without it - just need to:

1.: have the drivers and gouvernours compiled in the kernel

2.:activate them during boot - by putting this command into /etc/conf.d/local.start

```
echo "ondemand" > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor
```

to new_to_non_X86

 *Quote:*   

> we must make a page in the wiki for the one who survived and the one who don't 

 

I personally have'nt found anything on fried CPUs - could probably only happen with broken hardware and (un)purpously wrong settings while configuring the kernel - and then running it for the rest of time - what was he supposed to do with this warning you gave? What is too long a compile - and how should (especially he) know that in advance? That was the reason for me mentioning that I "survived"...

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## GNUtoo

 *Noven wrote:*   

> 
> 
> Destroying Pentium-m with big compiles - WTF? I've done a complete Jackass-inspired stage 1 from 3 w/ totally rebuilt toolchain - no problems. Add in all the progs and I've had continuous compiling going for >36hrs. Just make sure you turn your fan on {no end of little utilities to do it, even without a full system set up}. If there seriously are problems in that area I'd appreciate links to some posts about it - cause I might have survived thus far on sheer luck.

 

so insert your laptop here ...this is a start

http://gentoo-wiki.com/Cope_with_pentiumM_Problems

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## jomen

http://gentoo-wiki.com/Cope_with_pentiumM_Problems

this was created today!? - like 1 hour ago (see history)

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## GNUtoo

of course...

i created it...

tabs are a little bit hard to do in media-wiki...i know it because they are not easy for me...lol...

so in order to gain a lot of time to people that don't know well how to do them...i made one

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## SolidSnakex28

Well, after many trials and tribulations, I got cpufreqd working. Only one problem: on boot, it defaults to the ondemand governor. How do I make it so that the 'conservative governor is always active?

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## jomen

finally - good - congratiulations!

 I'm just interested:

What did you do or change to make it work now?

and about the question:

you do it just like in the other examples I have already given - "echo" it to the appropriate place (needs to be compiled into kernel or the module loaded...)

```
echo "conservative" > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor
```

You should have a look into that directory - and into its files - you will understand then.

To make this permanent, put the line above into /etc/conf.d/local.start 

I was favouring the "ondemand over this one because: if I need the power of my CPU - I want to have it  - I want to have it _right now_

and I want to have it regardless whether I'm on battery or AC - after all, what use is all this computing power, if you limit it.

At least it will feel beeing limited, because it takes more time to step up the frequency with this gouvernour until you finally reach 100% - and this one will also eventually get you 100% - only the delay is more visible.

But - however you like it...

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## SolidSnakex28

Wow, that worked too...

It was most likely problems that arose from my lack of knowledge regarding the kernel. I've learned alot, though, from all these installations and kernel reconfigures. I got the kernel configured exactly the way it should have been on this install, and everything else seems to be working fine, too. So, at long last, SOLVED. Thanks alot guys!

EDIT: wo0t! 150th post!

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