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mrexclamationmark
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Joined: 06 Mar 2018
Posts: 8
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 Posted: Fri May 08, 2020 8:07 pm Post subject: Changing The Kernels Timer Frequency To A Custom Value |
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[WIP]
Hello all, this is a guide on how to change the linux kernels timer frequency to custom values.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hertz
https://lwn.net/Articles/549580/
https://lwn.net/Articles/145973/
https://wiki.osdev.org/HPET
https://wiki.osdev.org/RTC
Kernel Sources References:
kernel/Kconfig.hz
include/linux/jiffies.h
There is 3 Timer Subsystems to be chosen at General Setup>Timers subsystem>Timer tick handling in the make menuconfig
1.CONFIG_HZ_PERIODIC
This option keeps the tick rate running periodically at a constant rate, even when the CPU doesn't need it.
2.CONFIG_NO_HZ_IDLE << The balance between both options
This option enables a tickless idle system: timer interrupts will only trigger on an as-needed basis when the system is idle.
3.CONFIG_NO_HZ_FULL
Adaptively try to shutdown the tick whenever possible, even when the cpu is running tasks.
https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/master/kernel/Kconfig.hz << this is the file in the kernel tree where you can change the timer frequency.
File Location: KernelDirectory/kernel/Kconfig.hz
Example below
| Code: |
# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only
#
# Timer Interrupt Frequency Configuration
#
choice
prompt "Fair timer frequency"
default HZ_1000
help
Configuration of the Fair timer frequency.
This selection of timer frequencys balances the ticks on all cores by divideing from 1000 to the number of CPU cores you have,
giving fairness and balance between throughput and latency while reducing unnecessary energy consumption and avoiding
reduced performance on CPU cores due to many timer interrupts occurring across all cores.
1000Hz for single cores.
500Hz for dual cores.
250Hz for quad cores.
166Hz for six cores.
125Hz for eight cores.
To get the hertz value for your CPU do
1000 / number of CPU cores.
Example (bc -l):
1000 / 6 is 166Hz and 1000 / 166 is the result 6ms, the periodic tick value.
References: include/linux/jiffies.h
config HZ_1000
bool "1000 HZ"
help
1000 ticks per second.
1ms each tick.
Use with single core CPUs.
config HZ_500
bool "500 HZ"
help
500 ticks per second.
2ms each tick.
Use with dual core CPUs.
config HZ_250
bool "250 HZ"
help
250 ticks per second.
4ms each tick.
Use with quad core CPUs.
config HZ_166
bool "166 HZ"
help
166 ticks per second.
6ms each tick.
Use with six core CPUs.
config HZ_125
bool "125 HZ"
help
125 ticks per second.
8ms each tick.
Use with eight core CPUs.
endchoice
config HZ
int
default 1000 if HZ_1000
default 500 if HZ_500
default 250 if HZ_250
default 166 if HZ_166
default 125 if HZ_125
config SCHED_HRTICK
def_bool HIGH_RES_TIMERS
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To select the timer frequency, go to Processor type and features>Timer frequency in make menuconfig.
Increasing the timer frequency will also increase power consumption.
You can also tune HPET timers with a sysctl value, you can place this in a file in /etc/sysctl.d/local.conf
| Code: |
dev.hpet.max-user-freq = 20
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And you can also tune RTC timers with a udev rule, you can place this in a file in /etc/udev/rules.d/10-local.rules
| Code: |
ACTION=="add|change", SUBSYSTEM=="rtc", KERNEL=="rtc0", ATTR{max_user_freq}="20"
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20Hz = 50ms each cycle per second.
To calculate your own values, you do 1000 / X
X is the hertz value you define
I used the command line tool "bc -l" to calculate these values, it is recommended to use a decimal point calculator.
Normally the linux kernel uses TSC as a clocksource, but if the kernel sees that it is unstable it can use other timers like HPET or even ACPI-PM as a clocksource.
The clocksource can also be set by a kernel parameter clocksource= which for x86-32 can take pit, hpet and tsc and x86-64 can take hpet or tsc.
Last edited by mrexclamationmark on Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:40 am; edited 63 times in total |
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pietinger
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Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Posts: 4230
Location: Bavaria
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| Posted: Fri May 08, 2020 10:51 pm Post subject: Re: Changing The Kernel's Timer Frequency To A Custom Value |
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| mrtelekinesis wrote: | | The higher the frequency the lower the latency, but if the CPU cannot keep up with low latency then throughput might be affected, so it is a matter of finding the right timer frequency for your CPU, but for responsiveness(like gaming) you might want a value greater than or equal to 852Hz. |
I dont think its necessary to optimize the timer frequency when using "tickless idle" (General setup > Timers subsystem -> Timer tick handling (Idle dynticks system (tickless idle))
With this you should not have any problems with 1000 hz. (I use 300 hz since today)
| mrtelekinesis wrote: | | https://lwn.net/Articles/145973/ << this is a good link on the kernels HZ timer frequency. |
This is a very old article. Today the patch described there is a standard kernel feauture. |
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mrexclamationmark
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Joined: 06 Mar 2018
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Sat May 09, 2020 12:04 am Post subject: Re: Changing The Kernel's Timer Frequency To A Custom Value |
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| pietinger wrote: | | mrtelekinesis wrote: | | The higher the frequency the lower the latency, but if the CPU cannot keep up with low latency then throughput might be affected, so it is a matter of finding the right timer frequency for your CPU, but for responsiveness(like gaming) you might want a value greater than or equal to 852Hz. |
I dont think its necessary to optimize the timer frequency when using "tickless idle" (General setup > Timers subsystem -> Timer tick handling (Idle dynticks system (tickless idle))
With this you should not have any problems with 1000 hz. (I use 300 hz since today)
| mrtelekinesis wrote: | | https://lwn.net/Articles/145973/ << this is a good link on the kernels HZ timer frequency. |
This is a very old article. Today the patch described there is a standard kernel feauture. |
I have that option set already, not saying that I have any problems, this is just a guide for anybody who wants to tinker with the timer frequency as there is no right Hz value, it really depends on the user, the CPU and the kind of computer work they do.
Last edited by mrexclamationmark on Wed May 13, 2020 12:17 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ant P.
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Joined: 18 Apr 2009
Posts: 6920
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| Posted: Sat May 09, 2020 12:20 am Post subject: |
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If you want low latency then use MuQSS, which uses the hpet for scheduling (~14MHz).
Hacking random values into the kernel tick rate was debunked years ago as useless except for very specific broken software (proprietary game servers). |
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mrexclamationmark
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Joined: 06 Mar 2018
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Sat May 09, 2020 12:49 am Post subject: |
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| Ant P. wrote: | If you want low latency then use MuQSS, which uses the hpet for scheduling (~14MHz).
Hacking random values into the kernel tick rate was debunked years ago as useless except for very specific broken software (proprietary game servers). |
oooh, do you remember the article you read on the kernel tick rate being debunked?, i would like to read that to understand this concept better
I have used MuQSS and also PDS/BMQ, they are really great CPU schedulers, but right now im using CFS and I am using it with SCHED_TUNABLESCALING_NONE in kernel/sched/fair.c , seems good so far compared to SCHED_TUNABLESCALING_LOG on my six core
Last edited by mrexclamationmark on Wed May 13, 2020 12:18 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ant P.
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Joined: 18 Apr 2009
Posts: 6920
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| Posted: Sat May 09, 2020 5:46 am Post subject: |
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| mrtelekinesis wrote: | | oooh, do you remember the article you read on the kernel tick rate being debunked?, i would like to read that to understand this concept better |
It wasn't an article, it was help text from the -ck patchset back in the RSDL days. It added options up to 100,000hz and then explained the ones above 1000 were mostly useless and only increase CPU load.
If you're having latency problems and it's not visibly limited by CPU usage, it's probably related to cpufreq or C-states. |
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mrexclamationmark
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Joined: 06 Mar 2018
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Sat May 09, 2020 12:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Ant P. wrote: | | mrtelekinesis wrote: | | oooh, do you remember the article you read on the kernel tick rate being debunked?, i would like to read that to understand this concept better |
It wasn't an article, it was help text from the -ck patchset back in the RSDL days. It added options up to 100,000hz and then explained the ones above 1000 were mostly useless and only increase CPU load.
If you're having latency problems and it's not visibly limited by CPU usage, it's probably related to cpufreq or C-states. |
Not having any latency issues at all, just trying to get the most out of my computer, that's all 
I am also using schedutil cpufreq governor, but have been experimenting with ondemand cpufreq governor, i read somewhere that schedutil will be the only cpufreq governor in the future so, im gonna stick with that one |
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krinn
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Joined: 02 May 2003
Posts: 7470
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| Posted: Sat May 09, 2020 3:14 pm Post subject: Re: Changing The Kernel's Timer Frequency To A Custom Value |
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| mrtelekinesis wrote: | | https://www.relaxmelodies.com/blog/science-behind-solfeggio-frequencies/ |
That article looks like history channel made 
| Quote: |
Solfeggio frequencies refer to specific tones of sound that help with and promote various aspects of body and mind health. These frequencies are reputed to date back to ancient history and said to be the fundamental sounds used in both Western Christianity and Eastern Indian religions
Physician and researcher, Dr. Joseph Puleo, rediscovered Solfeggio frequencies in the 1970s...identify six measurable tones that bring the body back into balance and aid in healing. |
yeah i always doubt something knew since age of time gets discovered as late as 1970...
the so-call Doctor guy nobody's knows discovering a major thing
and the pseudo science that claims healing of body thru obscure methods
nothing from him on wikipedia
and this https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Solfeggio_frequencies | Quote: |
Solfeggio frequencies, often promoted as "ancient solfeggio frequencies",[2] are a crank concept in sound healing. They involve grandiose claims about a certain series of sound frequencies (396, 417, 528, 639, 741, 852 Hz) derived from a numerological system of family number groups. The concept hijacks and misapplies terminology (including the name) from the "solfeggio" or solfègeWikipedia's W.svg music-education method, but other than that, has nothing in common with it. |
no idea why, but i won't play with my kernel for this
I prefer my method by putting my hands on the kenrel .config to make it heal faster |
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mrexclamationmark
n00b
Joined: 06 Mar 2018
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Sun May 10, 2020 11:47 pm Post subject: Re: Changing The Kernel's Timer Frequency To A Custom Value |
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| krinn wrote: | | mrtelekinesis wrote: | | https://www.relaxmelodies.com/blog/science-behind-solfeggio-frequencies/ |
That article looks like history channel made
| Quote: |
Solfeggio frequencies refer to specific tones of sound that help with and promote various aspects of body and mind health. These frequencies are reputed to date back to ancient history and said to be the fundamental sounds used in both Western Christianity and Eastern Indian religions
Physician and researcher, Dr. Joseph Puleo, rediscovered Solfeggio frequencies in the 1970s...identify six measurable tones that bring the body back into balance and aid in healing. |
yeah i always doubt something knew since age of time gets discovered as late as 1970...
the so-call Doctor guy nobody's knows discovering a major thing
and the pseudo science that claims healing of body thru obscure methods
nothing from him on wikipedia
and this https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Solfeggio_frequencies | Quote: |
Solfeggio frequencies, often promoted as "ancient solfeggio frequencies",[2] are a crank concept in sound healing. They involve grandiose claims about a certain series of sound frequencies (396, 417, 528, 639, 741, 852 Hz) derived from a numerological system of family number groups. The concept hijacks and misapplies terminology (including the name) from the "solfeggio" or solfègeWikipedia's W.svg music-education method, but other than that, has nothing in common with it. |
no idea why, but i won't play with my kernel for this
I prefer my method by putting my hands on the kenrel .config to make it heal faster |
, yeah i guess so, still is interesting though, but the only way it can possibly work is if the monitors refresh rate were in those frequencies, but who knows, i am trying out 64Hz kernel timer frequency now, stuff is complex but you gotta figure it out for yourself right? |
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