Linuxconf Europe: Kernel Programming and Energy Efficiency
Today, the Linux Conference in Cambridge focused on energy saving and kernel power management.
LinuxConf Europe is a very technical conference. One of the nicest features of this gathering
has been an overt recognition on behalf of the organisers, the UKUUG and GUUG, that
Linux is only a small component of a large software ecosystem; largely the GNU operating
system. Even more impressively, on Tuesday, the conference held an entire session
dedicated to hardware-related issues, specifically power management. At first this may not
appear to be the most interesting topic, but as the kernel continues to mature the
importance of power management is ever-increasing.
Arjan van de Ven of Intel began the session with an overview of common programming
techniques which are the largest wastes of power consumption: unnecessary polling of system
resources, insufficient caching of data being read from hard disk for example. These
examples were largely presented in the context of desktop applications, but the importance
and ramifications spread much further, most notably into the field of mobile devices.
Mobile and embedded Linux have been some of the largest growth areas for the kernel in
recent years (as advanced by devices such as Nokia's Internet Tablets, N770/800 and this
will only accelerate as OpenMoko and Qtopia phones become commercially viable.
The session ended with a talk by Matthew Garrett discussing how programmers need to go
about making Linux less power hungry. He noted that he had calculated his power saving
code, internationally, had saved more energy than he had consumed flying to conferences to
present his work. The ecological argument for this work is clearly apparent. However, it
shall be the increased usage time for mobile devices that will be the most obvious benefit of
this work.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Gnome 47.1 Released with a Few Fixes
The latest release of the Gnome desktop is all about fixing a few nagging issues and not about bringing new features into the mix.
-
System76 Unveils an Ampere-Powered Thelio Desktop
If you're looking for a new desktop system for developing autonomous driving and software-defined vehicle solutions. System76 has you covered.
-
VirtualBox 7.1.4 Includes Initial Support for Linux kernel 6.12
The latest version of VirtualBox has arrived and it not only adds initial support for kernel 6.12 but another feature that will make using the virtual machine tool much easier.
-
New Slimbook EVO with Raw AMD Ryzen Power
If you're looking for serious power in a 14" ultrabook that is powered by Linux, Slimbook has just the thing for you.
-
The Gnome Foundation Struggling to Stay Afloat
The foundation behind the Gnome desktop environment is having to go through some serious belt-tightening due to continued financial problems.
-
Thousands of Linux Servers Infected with Stealth Malware Since 2021
Perfctl is capable of remaining undetected, which makes it dangerous and hard to mitigate.
-
Halcyon Creates Anti-Ransomware Protection for Linux
As more Linux systems are targeted by ransomware, Halcyon is stepping up its protection.
-
Valve and Arch Linux Announce Collaboration
Valve and Arch have come together for two projects that will have a serious impact on the Linux distribution.
-
Hacker Successfully Runs Linux on a CPU from the Early ‘70s
From the office of "Look what I can do," Dmitry Grinberg was able to get Linux running on a processor that was created in 1971.
-
OSI and LPI Form Strategic Alliance
With a goal of strengthening Linux and open source communities, this new alliance aims to nurture the growth of more highly skilled professionals.