Kernel Log: Coming in 2.6.32 (Part 6): Infrastructure

“Support has been added for ACPI 4.0 and there are two new make
targets which generate kernel configurations attuned to the running
system. Changes to the power management subsystem increase data
throughput and allow better use of runtime power saving features on
modern I/O devices.

“On releasing Linux 2.6.32-rc8, Linus Torvalds hinted that
kernel version 2.6.32 could be released by the end of this month.
The Kernel Log therefore brings its reporting on the changes in
kernel 2.6.32 to an end, dedicating the sixth article in the
‘What’s coming in 2.6.32’ series to changes in and around the
kernel infrastructure. The first four articles in the series dealt
with changes in the networking subsystem, in the graphics hardware,
in storage hardware and file systems and in other drivers, while
the fifth article looked at architecture code, memory management,
virtualisation and tracing .

“ACPI, PCI and PM

“Various patches add support for ACPI 4.0 to the Linux kernel.
They are accompanied by a driver for ACPI 4.0-compliant power
meters and an ACPI Processor Aggregator Device Driver. The latter
makes individual CPUs idle when instructed to do so via ACPI 4.0,
in order to temporarily reduce power consumption in the event, for
example, of an electrical emergency or impending overheating. This
allows a system to continuing running, albeit with reduced
performance, rather than switching itself off. Its merger followed
a long discussion in which Torvalds spoke out in favour of the
driver – details can be found in an article on LWN.net.”

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