[SOLVED] hd-idle or laptop-mode-tools?

turboscrew · 02-27-2015, 03:32 PM

I have a desktop that also shares a disk to my other computers. Now the question is which SW should I use to run down the disk (WD5000AAKX - APM not supported) hd-idle or laptop-mode-tools?

My purpose is not so much to save energy, but to save the disk. The machine is on 24/7, so I guess it makes a difference, when the disk is relatively seldom used.

I was thinking of rundown time of 2 or 3 hours.

My worry is about the disk waking up on remote access and power related side effects.

The desktop is running Kubuntu 14.04.

TobiSGD · 02-28-2015, 07:54 AM

I use laptop-mode-tools for exactly the same purpose (powering down disks that are rarely used), works fine here.

turboscrew · 02-28-2015, 03:38 PM

Thanks.

turboscrew · 03-02-2015, 03:36 AM

I tried laptop-mode-tools, but at least the GUI only allows SATA power save to be used, but
no controlover how - it doesn't even show the time-out.

I think if the time-out is less than half an hour, it would rather be harmful than hepful.

I wonder if there's a way for more detailed control, or maybe I should try hd-idle instead.

TobiSGD · 03-02-2015, 05:51 AM

Have a look at the files in /etc/laptop-mode-tools, they are well documented and allow fine gained control over anything laptop-mode-tools can do, including setting the timeouts.

turboscrew · 03-02-2015, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tobisgd

have a look at the files in /etc/laptop-mode-tools, they are well documented and allow fine gained control over anything laptop-mode-tools can do, including setting the timeouts.

thanks!

turboscrew · 03-03-2015, 06:33 AM

Hm, it doesn't seem to do the trick. Tried first with the default config file.
I also tried with edited config file:

Code:

LM_AC_HD_IDLE_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 7200
NOLM_HD_IDLE_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 7200
LM_AC_HD_POWERMGMT=127
NOLM_AC_HD_POWERMGMT=127

Restarted and run

Code:

ksu lmt-config-gui

and checked that all the disk-related power functions were enabled.
No effect - waited for 5 hours.

I manually started the GUI, because the menu entry doesn't seem to work.
The menu entry starts something that runs for a short while.
I only see something emerging into the task bar and then disappearing from there,
but no window opens or anything.

TobiSGD · 03-03-2015, 07:12 AM

It may be possible that starting the GUI has overwritten your changes, have you checked that?
Also, laptop-mode-tools has to be started as a service/daemon, have you done that?

turboscrew · 03-03-2015, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TobiSGD

It may be possible that starting the GUI has overwritten your changes, have you checked that?

The config file hasn't been overwritten. My editions are still there

Quote:

Also, laptop-mode-tools has to be started as a service/daemon, have you done that?

Now there seems to be a problem. Added enable-flag to /etc/default/acpi_config and set the ON-flag in the laptop-mode config file too.

Rebooted (twice) but it didn't start. By manually restarting I got it to run.
Now let's see if it does something after 2 hours...
Still have to figure out how to make it start automagically.

TobiSGD · 03-03-2015, 12:14 PM

Usually your distribution comes with the apropriate tools to manage services/daemons, in case of Ubuntu it should be update-rc or something similar.

turboscrew · 03-03-2015, 01:15 PM

Thanks, I'll check it up.
It's been quite a while (before this Kubuntu) that I had to manually set up daemons.
Probably with Debian Lenny...

turboscrew · 03-04-2015, 01:48 AM

It still doesn't work. Rebooted, manually started laptop-mode and checked the config.
After 4 hours the disks were still running.

It looks like the version in Kubuntu repo is not working here.
(Canonical has announced that it has stopped supporting laptop-mode-tools.)

turboscrew · 03-04-2015, 01:49 AM

It still doesn't work. Rebooted, manually started laptop-mode and checked the config.
After 4 hours the disks were still running.

It looks like the version in Kubuntu repo is not working in my case.
(Canonical has announced that it has stopped supporting laptop-mode-tools.)

TobiSGD · 03-04-2015, 07:11 AM

That is weird, it is woprking fine for me on Gentoo. I guess you have to try alternatives, then.

turboscrew · 03-05-2015, 04:29 PM

On TLP-site I saw something that I didn't think of:

Quote:

Hint: stopping the system disk for extended periods of time is unlikely to work, because applications and system daemons wake up the disk frequently. However for a 2nd disk in a swappable drive slot or the Ultrabay that is not accessed permanently, this setting may be quite useful.

I guess I'll go with suspend to RAM if the machine can be waken up by network traffic.