Re: [gentoo-user] Tips for saving power needed... particulary on laptops

[Frank Steinmetzger <Warp_7@gmx.de>]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 1830 bytes --]

On Mon, Apr 02, 2012 at 01:22:50AM -0400, Walter Dnes wrote:

> > > Hi,
> > > 
> > > admin of a colo-center keeps complaining my server is going
> > > a little over power-limit (which they have set as ~120W per
> > > 24h/avg, while my server needs ~130-135W). So I need to find
> > > a way to save at least those 15W, or I will be moved to
> > > higher tarif (which means higher costs for server-housing).
> […]
> The following may seem obvious, but here goes...
> 
> * remove unnecessary video cards, and drivers.  Most colo machines
>   should do OK with just a text console running on the onboard GPU.
>   Dump all video driver stuff "/dev/agpgart (AGP Support)" and
>   "Direct Rendering Manager".  This assumes you're not running X on
>   your colo machines.  mc (Midnight Commander) is a great text-based
>   tool, along the lines of ye olde Norton Commander.
> 
> * disable sound cards/chips in BIOS and remove drivers and kernel
>   support.

As a follow-up question that’s been on my mind for a long time: can I always
assume that when there is no driver loaded, the device is really (physically)
off, so it doesn't use any power (at all)?  Or are there exceptions to that
rule (like hardware known to be buggy)?  My concern comes from having an
ageing laptop whose battery I want to preserve as well as I can.

In my case, that would be bluetooth, ethernet, possibly even the optical
drive, and even the touchpad. I can switch the latter off using Fn+F9, which
even works on the tty. But does that really switch it off, or does the kernel
merely ignore its input then?

In case it matters: it’s a Samsung P50 (professional line laptop from 2006).
-- 
Gruß | Greetings | Qapla'
Please do not use my email addresses within any Facebook service.

Dyslexics of the world untie!

[-- Attachment #2: Type: application/pgp-signature, Size: 198 bytes --]