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.

acturneruk · Apprentice Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 162 Location: UK

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

SolidSnakex28 · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 1:56 pm Post subject:

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

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

jomen · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 2:46 pm Post subject:

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...

acturneruk · Apprentice Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 162 Location: UK

SolidSnakex28 · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:15 pm Post subject:

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.

jomen · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:54 pm Post subject:

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

SolidSnakex28 · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:32 pm Post subject:

jomen · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:01 am Post subject:

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

This is the page - right?

SolidSnakex28 · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:14 am Post subject:

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?

GNUtoo · Veteran Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 1919

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 [*])

GNUtoo · Veteran Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 1919

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 select

SolidSnakex28 · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:22 am Post subject:

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...

GNUtoo · Veteran Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 1919

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

SolidSnakex28 · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:38 am Post subject:

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.

jomen · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:40 am Post subject:

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

GNUtoo · Veteran Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 1919

SolidSnakex28 · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:42 am Post subject:

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).

GNUtoo · Veteran Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 1919

stop and keep your config
don;t make mkproper

jomen · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:45 am Post subject:

yes - not now anymore

SolidSnakex28 · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:46 am Post subject:

jomen · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:50 am Post subject:

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

jomen · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:53 am Post subject:

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

GNUtoo · Veteran Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 1919

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...

GNUtoo · Veteran Joined: 05 May 2005 Posts: 1919