What is PowerNowd FOR LINUX?

PowerNowd

PowerNowd is a handy tool that connects to the CPUFreq driver. It works with Linux kernel versions 2.5 and 2.6 using the sysfs interface. To use this daemon, make sure you have a supported CPU and a kernel that’s sysfs compatible.

Understanding PowerNowd

The name might be a bit tricky because PowerNowd is not just for AMD's PowerNow! technology; it actually works with any CPUfreq capable processor. However, it shines best on processors that support more than two frequency steps, like those powered by AMD’s PowerNow! or newer Pentium M chips.

Tested Processors

This daemon has been tested successfully on various processors:

• AMD Mobile Duron 850MHz


• PowerPC G3 900MHz


• AMD K6-2+ 450MHz


• AMD Athlon64 3000+

I’ve even heard from users running it on:

• SMP Intel P4-m (with speedstep and hyperthreading)


• Intel P3


• Intel Pentium-M

How to Run PowerNowd

If you’re ready to get started, just type this command as root:

powernowd

Your Options with PowerNowd

You’ve got some cool options to play around with:

• -h: Displays help message.


• -d: Keeps it attached to your terminal (default runs in the background).


• -v: Increases output verbosity—you can use it multiple times.


• -q: Quiet mode for emergency outputs only.


• -m #: Choose modes of operation (0 = SINE, 1 = AGGRESSIVE (default), 2 = PASSIVE, 3 = LEAPS).


• -s #: Set frequency step in kHz (default is 100000).


• -p #: Polling frequency in milliseconds (default is 1000).


• -u #: Upper CPU usage limit percentage [0..100, default is 80].


• -l #: Lower CPU usage limit percentage [0..100, default is 20].

A Word About Limitations

Caution!

The -U and -L options may not be exact due to how cpufreq drivers round up to the next available step. For example, if my iBook supports two frequencies—400MHz and 900MHz—and I set an upper limit of -U at 800000 (or 800MHz), PowerNowd would still toggle between those two speeds because writing to scaling_setspeed sets it to the next available state—900MHz in this case.

A Peek at What's New!

This release marks the final version since it's feature complete and has been thoroughly tested. The 'ondemand' kernel governor seems like a solid choice moving forward! Also included are minor cleanups.

How Download Works

Go to the Softpas website, press the 'Downloads' button, and pick the app you want to download and install—easy and fast!