Re: A faster N810??
 

Thanks for the explanation, Matan.

There is a very noticeable improvement in speed when running CPU-intensive applications, so the CPU must be throttling down even when there are tasks running. It would be nice if there were a setting between "performance" (always full speed) and "on-demand" (throttling at first opportunity).

Even if there is some impact on battery life, turning off the CPU throttle is a "cheap" and "easy" way to get some more speed for demanding tasks.

Certainly easier than putting in a new CPU or trying to "overclock" it.

Re: A faster N810??
 

The ondemand governor is tunable. See parameters in the directory /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/ondemand/.

It might be possible to improve performance and still keep most of the power saving features with a slight tuning.

You can see here for an explanation, though it is for a slightly older kernel than 2.6.21:
http://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kern...mand-paper.pdf

There is also the conservative governor which is also changing frequency according to demand, but with a different algorithm.

Before there was ondemand governor (in kernel), there were a few userspace daemons (powernowd, cpufreqd, etc.). For example, cpufreqd allows setting speed by running appliacations.

Re: A faster N810??
 

Do read In the Beginning was the Command Line when you have an hour or so to spare.

Re: A faster N810??
 

I like your taste in authors. ;)

Tim

Re: A faster N810??
 

I think I have been reading more than an hour and I am not even half way through yet, still an interesting read.

Re: A faster N810??
 

Don't be scared to run with the performance governor - I do at all times and my tablet has very long battery duration and is in perfect health.
I've modified Slidelock (it's in python so it's easy to change) so that each time I open the sliding keyboard it goes in performance mode, and when I close it, goes back to ondemand. So, less battery draining when I don't use it. The thread is here http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?p=295759

Re: A faster N810??
 

I'm probably going to be exiled from the Maemo/Linux community for this post, but here it goes. Ideally, you should never have to go into the command line for any system or application settings (the only exceptions I can think of is writing scripts) Firstly, it's not user friendly and is going to turn off 80% of non-geeks. Secondly, there is no reason for it, not any that I can think of. If it's worth putting into the command line, it's worth putting a GUI on it. If a GUI is too much trouble, then have a kind of "system:config" page similar to the Firefox "about:config" page.

Re: A faster N810??
 

ioioio: I think that's the philosophy of Microsoft Windows.

I happen to agree, but I have resigned myself to the fact that most advanced Linux users seem to like the command line.

To me, the command line is a place to try stuff out, and when you have it figured out, then you write a script and put a GUI on it so you don't have to use the command line to do that task again.

Re: A faster N810??
 

In fact, ioioio's opinion really makes sense in the tablet, where going to the CLI usually means sliding the keyboard out, often interrupting your workflow.
(in my opinion it makes less sense in desktop; my hands spend most of the time over the keyboard and not near the mouse)

Re: A faster N810??
 

there is a way to change the settings, download advanced power and then go to cpu policy at the status bar and set performance to whatever you like

Re: A faster N810??
 

Hey, the nineties called and want their FUD back.
On my desktop (laptop actually) linux there's no need to use the command line for any setting. It's still there if you want to use it, and I actually do use it because it's faster for most tasks and I'm used to it. Nobody forces you to use a command line.

Oh, sure, or something as friendly as regedit....

Re: A faster N810??
 

Yeah, they mostly all do: vi <config file>* :rolleyes:

*Or gconf-editor for some.

Re: A faster N810??
 

Well, I find myself constantly going into the command line and starting off with the customary -sudo gainroot in my n810. Be it changing MAC addresses, power profiles as someone stated, changing button mappings (run-standalone.sh!! took me forever to figure that one out), etc, etc. As for desktop, anytime I install a Linux OS in Virtualbox, the first thing I have to do is go to the command line and install the Virtualbox guest additions from the command line, because I can't double click it nor right click and run as admin (ty Windows).

The Windows Registry is a mess, it should have been junked a long time ago, they just keep it for backward compatibility, as if Vista was ever backward compatible with XP. At least its a GUI, I don't have to go to the command line and type --regedit /newkey HKLM/Software/....etc.


That's exactly how I feel when I go into the command line, like I'm using something from the 90's.

And with that I think I'm officially exiled from the Linux/Unix/Maemo/GNU/ARM/etc. community. I hate Vista, so I guess that only leaves me with XP to send my asylum application to.

Re: A faster N810??
 

Well, normally I would take the pro-CLI position when it comes to Linux, but on a device like the NIT, the CLI is actually counter productive and hard to use, and thus I lean towards the side of an all gui experience. Now if it's a regular PC, no way. CLI + GUI all the way. The only time I advocate 100% GUI is if it's an environment that doesn't lend itself well to a command line use.

Re: A faster N810??
 

The counter argument is that you don't want to overwhelm exactly that part of the audience with too many options which they have no hope/interest of understanding in the first place. Example: type "/sbin/sysctl -a" into a shell session on your tablet (that's just a small subset of the "system" settings). Do we really need a GUI that can set all those options? Who is going to support those 80% of non-geeks when they fiddle with it and break their system in various ways?

Re: A faster N810??
 

Just learned something new. Cool.

Re: A faster N810??
 

Oh, sure, like it's easy to do in the windows gui not! (besides, that's not what a typical gui user would want to do).

Nobody forces you to change the power profile, the tablet will work as intended even if you don't do that, that's probably why nokia doesn't provide a gui to modify it. On my laptop I just click on the battery icon and, hey, presto, a gui pops up to set power relate settings.


I'm not sure it works (I use virtualbox to virtualise windows, not linux), but my distro provides a package for the guest additions, so it's just a matter of clicking on the control panel icon, select the add/remove software option, find the virtualbox guest additions, click on install, click on apply.
Look ma, all from a gui!, and I didn't even need to manually download it!
Like I said, the 90s called and want their FUD back.

Fact is, there are some settings that can only be modified through it (take a look at the microsoft knowledge base), and it ain't pretty. It surely isn't better than hand editing some settings in a clearly documented text file.

Oh, if that's the problem, nobody forces you to use vi, you can always use kate, kwrite, gedit to edit configuration files. Hey, it's a gui editor, right?


That could be true in the early 90s, nobody is forcing you to do it anymore with any sane, contemporary distro.

If it works for you, more power to you, nobody is forcing you to switch....Oh, wait.