Release candidate release notes

[Vincent]

On 14/10/2007, Eero Tamminen <oak at helsinkinet.fi> wrote:
>
> On Sunday 14 October 2007, Vincent wrote:
> > On 14/10/2007, Eero Tamminen <oak at helsinkinet.fi> wrote:
> > > On Sunday 14 October 2007, Vincent wrote:
> > > > Anyway, it's now available here:
> > > > http://xubuntublog.wordpress.com/2007/10/14/this-is-gutsy/
> > > > (I think it does need to be edited a bit to be more release note-ish
> > > > instead of blog post-ish ;-)
> > >
> > > Great review, thanks!  I'm definitely going to test/use Gutsy Xubuntu
> > > (once I find computer where to install it[1]).  Are all the Murraine
> > > color variations listed here available on new Xubuntu:
> > >   http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/2165/430731qh9.png
> > > ?
> > >
> > > Could the review mention also some things in which Xubuntu differs
> from
> > > Ubuntu besides using different desktop environment?
> > >
> > >
> > > Regarding this comment in your article:
> > > "Then Xubuntu inherits from Ubuntu the latest Linux kernel (core) that
> > > includes dynticks. Again, I'm not too sure what exactly it is, but I
> > > read that it makes sure Xubuntu uses less power and makes your
> computer
> > > produce less heat"
> > >
> > > Kernel using Dynticks infrastructure (i.e. instead of waking the CPU
> at
> > > fast
> > > fixed clock rate, kernel now lets HW to sleep until the next wakeup),
> > > is not enough for getting Xubuntu to use less battery.  The kernel
> > > cannot let the HW to sleep if some user-space application is
> constantly
> > > polling the
> > > kernel.  This page lists some worst offenders:
> > >         http://www.linuxpowertop.org/known.php
> > > (gnome power manager, mixer applet, firefox, pidgin, SDL programs...)
> > >
> > > I don't think anybody's checked Xubuntu desktop for this.  You don't
> > > really
> > > need powertop for checking this.  Just pick the topmost process
> showing
> > > in "top" output and attach strace to it with "strace -p PID"
> > > (preferably through ssh instead of terminal window so that this window
> > > doesn't create extra activity).  If the process does anything more
> > > often than say at few second intervals without user doing something
> > > with it, the program should be
> > > fixed.  Now that kernel has inotify (file change notifications),
> > > nothing should need to be polled.
> >
> > OK, I'm not sure whether I followed that... Does this mean that I should
> > make a modification to the blog post?
>
> If you could mention something about differences between Ubuntu and
> Xubuntu Gutsy release, that would be nice.


That'd be a little problem, since I don't have Ubuntu, and I don't have
another spare USB drive to put it on ;-)

The comment about dynticks and polling is more of a generic comment to
> the dev-list of things to check.  It would be bad if Xubuntu would be
> worse
> than Ubuntu/Gnome desktop in regards to battery consumption now that
> Linux kernel can actually save battery.  This battery saving happens only
> *if* desktop / panel applets / applications don't explicitly try to drain
> it
> (by polling).


Oh OK. I tried to enter the commands you said into the terminal yesterday
but then Xubuntu hung and I had to force a reboot.

It's not only for laptops either.  Desktop computers that run cooler need
> then to use those noisy fans less too...
>
>
>        - Eero
>



-- 
Vincent
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