SMP apm
 

Just been chaseing up some post install loose ends, one of which was
getting the 'automatic power off on halt' to work...

The steps required turned out to be:
a. apt-get install apm
b. echo apm >>/etc/modules
c. echo 'options apm power_off=1' >/etc/modprobe.d/apm

which seems to have done the trick nicely.

However I am a little concerned about the messages produced when apm
is loaded:
apm: BIOS version 1.2 Flags 0x03 (Driver version 1.16ac)
apm: disabled - APM is not SMP safe (power off active).

This is a SMP motherboard with two cpu's installed:
Intel MultiProcessor Specification v1.1
Virtual Wire compatibility mode.
OEM ID: INTEL Product ID: 440GX APIC at: 0xFEE00000
Processor #0 6:8 APIC version 17
Processor #1 6:8 APIC version 17
I/O APIC #2 Version 17 at 0xFEC00000.
Enabling APIC mode: Flat. Using 1 I/O APICs
Processors: 2

So is the message about apm being disabled lying - it is doing something
as it is enabling my auto power off, and /proc/apm appears showing:
penemunde:/etc# cat /proc/apm
1.16ac 1.2 0x03 0xff 0xff 0xff -1% -1 ?

I have skimmed through the apm source, at it looks to me like it is just
that the message is a listtle misleading and that the power off part
of apm is safe with SMP, and the unsafe bits are disabled.

I think this is right, but thought it worth mentioning as it seems like
something that should be in an Etch FAQ..

Regards,
DigbyT


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