> It seems to me that this issue has certain parallels to the current and > long running debate about linux kernel power management hacks targeting > embedded devices (e.g. android wake locks)
Yes and no. The analogy to embedded systems is dead on (especially wrt to efficient use of resources), but the problem becomes then how to avoid using more cycles figuring out a sophisticated guessing mechanism than just doing the stupid wake/check/go back to sleep model. All the sophisticated guessing models are more expensive than the "just do it" model. The approach that was used in the 100 hz timer pop elimination code for Z is fairly elegant, but it relies in structure on some hardware features in the Z that would be hard to retro-fit into Intel systems. Unfortunately, I think the problem is that polling and other evil things are easy; anything else requires thought. Entropy and Sturgeon's Law dominates programming as well as the rest of the universe. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For LINUX-390 subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO LINUX-390 or visit http://www.marist.edu/htbin/wlvindex?LINUX-390 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For more information on Linux on System z, visit http://wiki.linuxvm.org/
