[SPARCbook] Linux and heat

[Thomas Roehr]

Miles Nordin wrote:

> > I'll place a thermometer on it to provide factual data.
>
> please, don't bother.  I will stipulate, if that helps.
>
> > [paraphrasing me:] if you were not using NetBSD, you are wrong and foolish.
>
> I don't think this is accurate.  More precisely, I implied that if you are using
> Linux with broken power management, you are wrong and foolish.  And if you are
> using Solaris, OpenBSD, or NetBSD, you needn't worry.  I stand by this opinion.
>

There is NO power management in NetBSD or Linux that works with the TS102
microcontroller. What changed in Linux was how the idle time of the cpu was spent.
That changed with the 2.3 release, which was almost two years ago. NetBSD had
initially chosen the route that sleeps the cpu, instead of processing a tight, empty
loop. APM (which was included in Linux with the 1.3 kernel), currently only
integrates with PC hardware. The only OS with Tadpole specific power management is
Solaris. And what they can provide is the ability to idle the disk drive after a
period of inactivity, something that neither Linux or BSD is providing currently. And
that was a specific feature with an extended SCSI command for the 2.5 SCSI drives.

Tom Roehr
troehr at nj-onramp.com