Can someone tell me if there is a "master" controller for CPU frequency, and which one it is? As reported in this other posting about "cpupower", the "governor" is being changed dynamically by an unknown background process/service, some time (variable) after having set that governor to "userspace" with a fixed frequency (not maximum).
The report from
man -k freq
gives me the following possibilities:
cpufreq-set (1) - A small tool which allows a user to modify cpufreq settings.
cpupower-frequency-set (1) - A small tool which allows to modify cpufreq settings.
mate-cpufreq-selector (1) - A generic command line tool to change the cpu frequency.
However, none of those seem to reflect the scripts that I've located under /etc/init.d:
- cpufrequtils (using cpufreq-set)
- loadcpufreq
If I enter the command "cpufreq-info", I get the following (only first of 4):
cpufrequtils 008: cpufreq-info (C) Dominik Brodowski 2004-2009
Report errors and bugs to [email protected], please.
analyzing CPU 0:
driver: acpi-cpufreq
CPUs which run at the same hardware frequency: 0
CPUs which need to have their frequency coordinated by software: 0
maximum transition latency: 4.0 us.
hardware limits: 800 MHz - 2.60 GHz
available frequency steps: 2.60 GHz, 1.90 GHz, 1.40 GHz, 800 MHz
available cpufreq governors: conservative, ondemand, userspace, powersave, performance, schedutil
current policy: frequency should be within 800 MHz and 2.60 GHz.
The governor "ondemand" may decide which speed to use
within this range.
current CPU frequency is 1.90 GHz (asserted by call to hardware).
cpufreq stats: 2.60 GHz:3.01%, 1.90 GHz:42.81%, 1.40 GHz:4.25%, 800 MHz:49.94% (61384)
That clearly shows the module being used is "acpi-cpufreq", but when I do "lsmod", it is not among the Kernel modules listed, and neither is ACPI.
BUT ... "ps -ef | grep acpi" does show the ACPI daemon as running! Asking systemctl to report the units, it list the following:
UNIT LOAD ACTIVE SUB DESCRIPTION
accounts-daemon.service loaded active running Accounts Service
acpid.service loaded active running ACPI event daemon
alsa-restore.service loaded active exited Save/Restore Sound Card State
apache2.service loaded active running The Apache HTTP Server
apparmor.service loaded active exited Load AppArmor profiles
apport.service loaded active exited LSB: automatic crash report generation
atop.service loaded active running Atop advanced performance monitor
atopacct.service loaded active running Atop process accounting daemon
avahi-daemon.service loaded active running Avahi mDNS/DNS-SD Stack
binfmt-support.service loaded active exited Enable support for additional executable binary formats
clamav-freshclam.service loaded active running ClamAV virus database updater
colord.service loaded active running Manage, Install and Generate Color Profiles
console-setup.service loaded active exited Set console font and keymap
cpufrequtils.service loaded active exited LSB: set CPUFreq kernel parameters
cpupower-gui-helper.service loaded active running cpupower-gui system helper
cron.service loaded active running Regular background program processing daemon
cups-browsed.service loaded active running Make remote CUPS printers available locally
cups.service loaded active running CUPS Scheduler
dbus.service loaded active running D-Bus System Message Bus
dnscrypt-proxy-resolvconf.service loaded active exited DNSCrypt proxy resolvconf support
dnscrypt-proxy.service loaded active running DNSCrypt client proxy
[email protected] loaded active running Getty on tty1
glances.service loaded active running Glances
hddtemp.service loaded active exited LSB: disk temperature monitoring daemon
[email protected] loaded active exited ifup for enp2s0
ifupdown-pre.service loaded active exited Helper to synchronize boot up for ifupdown
irqbalance.service loaded active running irqbalance daemon
kerneloops.service loaded active running Tool to automatically collect and submit kernel crash signatures
keyboard-setup.service loaded active exited Set the console keyboard layout
kmod-static-nodes.service loaded active exited Create List of Static Device Nodes
laptop-mode.service loaded active exited Laptop Mode Tools
lightdm.service loaded active running Light Display Manager
lm-sensors.service loaded active exited Initialize hardware monitoring sensors
loadcpufreq.service loaded active exited LSB: Load kernel modules needed to enable cpufreq scaling
ModemManager.service loaded active running Modem Manager
netperf.service loaded active running LSB: network benchmark
networkd-dispatcher.service loaded active running Dispatcher daemon for systemd-networkd
networking.service loaded active exited Raise network interfaces
NetworkManager-wait-online.service loaded active exited Network Manager Wait Online
NetworkManager.service loaded active running Network Manager
openvpn.service loaded active exited OpenVPN service
plymouth-quit-wait.service loaded active exited Hold until boot process finishes up
plymouth-read-write.service loaded active exited Tell Plymouth To Write Out Runtime Data
plymouth-start.service loaded active exited Show Plymouth Boot Screen
polkit.service loaded active running Authorization Manager
rsyslog.service loaded active running System Logging Service
rtkit-daemon.service loaded active running RealtimeKit Scheduling Policy Service
setvtrgb.service loaded active exited Set console scheme
smartmontools.service loaded active running Self Monitoring and Reporting Technology (SMART) Daemon
snap.cups.cups-browsed.service loaded active running Service for snap application cups.cups-browsed
snap.cups.cupsd.service loaded active running Service for snap application cups.cupsd
snapd.apparmor.service loaded active exited Load AppArmor profiles managed internally by snapd
snapd.seeded.service loaded active exited Wait until snapd is fully seeded
snapd.service loaded active running Snap Daemon
spacenavd.service loaded active running 3Dconnexion Input Devices Userspace Driver
sysstat.service loaded active exited Resets System Activity Logs
systemd-binfmt.service loaded active exited Set Up Additional Binary Formats
systemd-journal-flush.service loaded active exited Flush Journal to Persistent Storage
systemd-journald.service loaded active running Journal Service
systemd-logind.service loaded active running User Login Management
systemd-modules-load.service loaded active exited Load Kernel Modules
systemd-networkd.service loaded active running Network Configuration
systemd-random-seed.service loaded active exited Load/Save Random Seed
systemd-remount-fs.service loaded active exited Remount Root and Kernel File Systems
systemd-resolved.service loaded active running Network Name Resolution
systemd-sysctl.service loaded active exited Apply Kernel Variables
systemd-sysusers.service loaded active exited Create System Users
systemd-timesyncd.service loaded active running Network Time Synchronization
systemd-tmpfiles-setup-dev.service loaded active exited Create Static Device Nodes in /dev
systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service loaded active exited Create Volatile Files and Directories
systemd-udev-trigger.service loaded active exited Coldplug All udev Devices
systemd-udevd.service loaded active running Rule-based Manager for Device Events and Files
systemd-update-utmp.service loaded active exited Record System Boot/Shutdown in UTMP
systemd-user-sessions.service loaded active exited Permit User Sessions
tlp.service loaded active exited LSB: tlp start/stop script
udisks2.service loaded active running Disk Manager
ufw.service loaded active exited Uncomplicated firewall
unattended-upgrades.service loaded active running Unattended Upgrades Shutdown
upower.service loaded active running Daemon for power management
[email protected] loaded active exited User Runtime Directory /run/user/1000
[email protected] loaded active running User Manager for UID 1000
wpa_supplicant.service loaded active running WPA supplicant
That list shows both acpid.service and cpufrequtils.service, cpupower-gui-helper.service, and loadcpufreq.service.
Also, looking at /etc/init.d/loadcpufreq script, it sets "acpi-cpufreq" as a default, failsafe module specification.
Looking at the source for each of loadcpufreq and cpufrequtils,
- loadcpufreq appears to have more conditional logic programmed for hardware, whereas
- cpufrequtils seems to rely more on the /system and /proc trees more directly.
Also, if I understood loadcpufreq correctly, it specifically loads a kernel module to achieve its objective, but any listing of the Kernel modules does not show any of the modules that the conditionals seem to indicate that it would load.
root:~# lsmod | sort
ahci 49152 11
asus_atk0110 24576 0
atl1e 49152 0
autofs4 49152 2
bfq 86016 3
binfmt_misc 24576 1
bluetooth 704512 0
ccp 106496 1 kvm_amd
cec 61440 1 drm_kms_helper
cfg80211 974848 0
crc_itu_t 16384 1 firewire_core
dm_log 20480 2 dm_region_hash,dm_mirror
dm_mirror 24576 0
dm_region_hash 24576 1 dm_mirror
drm 622592 8 drm_kms_helper,radeon,drm_ttm_helper,ttm
drm_kms_helper 311296 1 radeon
drm_ttm_helper 16384 1 radeon
ecc 36864 1 ecdh_generic
ecdh_generic 16384 1 bluetooth
edac_mce_amd 36864 0
efi_pstore 16384 0
fb_sys_fops 16384 1 drm_kms_helper
ff_memless 24576 1 hid_logitech
firewire_core 81920 1 firewire_ohci
firewire_ohci 49152 0
hid 151552 3 hid_logitech,usbhid,hid_generic
hid_generic 16384 0
hid_logitech 45056 0
i2c_algo_bit 16384 1 radeon
i2c_piix4 32768 0
input_leds 16384 0
ip_tables 32768 0
joydev 32768 0
k10temp 16384 0
kvm 1036288 1 kvm_amd
kvm_amd 155648 0
ledtrig_audio 16384 1 snd_hda_codec_generic
libahci 49152 1 ahci
lp 28672 0
mac_hid 16384 0
Module Size Used by
msr 16384 0
nvram 16384 0
parport 69632 3 parport_pc,lp,ppdev
parport_pc 49152 0
pata_acpi 16384 0
pata_atiixp 16384 0
ppdev 24576 0
psmouse 176128 0
radeon 1839104 5
rc_core 65536 1 cec
sch_fq_codel 20480 2
serio_raw 20480 0
snd 106496 17 snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hwdep,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_timer,snd_hda_codec_via,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi
snd_hda_codec 163840 4 snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec_via
snd_hda_codec_generic 102400 1 snd_hda_codec_via
snd_hda_codec_hdmi 77824 1
snd_hda_codec_via 24576 1
snd_hda_core 110592 5 snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_codec_via
snd_hda_intel 53248 3
snd_hwdep 16384 1 snd_hda_codec
snd_intel_dspcfg 28672 1 snd_hda_intel
snd_intel_sdw_acpi 20480 1 snd_intel_dspcfg
snd_pcm 143360 4 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_core
snd_rawmidi 49152 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 77824 2 snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_seq_device 16384 3 snd_seq,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi
snd_seq_midi 20480 0
snd_seq_midi_event 16384 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_timer 40960 2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
soundcore 16384 1 snd
st 65536 0
syscopyarea 16384 1 drm_kms_helper
sysfillrect 20480 1 drm_kms_helper
sysimgblt 16384 1 drm_kms_helper
tls 114688 0
ttm 86016 2 radeon,drm_ttm_helper
usbhid 65536 1 hid_logitech
wmi 32768 1 wmi_bmof
wmi_bmof 16384 0
x_tables 53248 1 ip_tables
root:~#
So ... I am at a loss as to "which train I should board", the one for loadcpufreq or cpufrequtils, because "cpupower" is clearly not the master for CPU governor control.
Please note: I normally use the script I shared in that earlier posting, but today I decided to use the "mate-cpufreq-selector" utility. I chose "userspace" and set both Min freq and Max freq to the same value of 1900MHz. The mysterious "gremlin" once again changed that back to "ondemand" with the frequency visually showing changes from 800MHz to 2.6GHz, confirming its mode now being "ondemand".
Can someone who actually knows point me to the correct tool that I should be using?
