[LAU] Ubuntustudio and frequency scaling

[Len Ovens]

On Thu, 7 Jun 2018, Mac wrote:

> So, I was running a old version of Ardour on ubuntustudio 16.04.

Which is old... use 18.04
> 
> I updated to Ardour 5.1.2.
> 
> When the Ardour install file (.run) ran it warned me that I should turn off
> frequency scaling.
> 
> After some googling it appears UBS doesn't ship with any of the typical tools one
> would use to adjust the cpu frequency.
> 
> Most of the search results talk about installing gnome applets and other stuff.
> 
> Seem to me a distro that is targeted at such cpu intense usage would have
> facilities to manage this.
> 
> So, before I go off on an apt spree, I figured I ask if I'm missing something.

No you are not missing something :) The ubuntustudio-controls in 18.04 
does include cpu governor setting, 16.04 does not. The same application 
for 18.10 does a lot more and also allows Boost to be shut off.

Some things to be aware of:
 	- I don't know about debian in general, but Ubuntu sets Ondemand
 		or Powersave at boot... about 60 seconds after everything
 		else. This means that cpufrequtils sets performance at
 		boot and then ondemand sets it back 60 sec later.
 		Ondemand in /etc/rc*.d needs to be disabled
 	- cpu governing does not seem to affect audio with buffer size
 		greater than 64.
 	- at low latency Boost also affects audio and should be truned
 		off. It seems to be the change in cpu speed that causes
 		trouble as I have run a cpu fixed at 800mhz with no
 		trouble as compared to 1.6 Ghz on the same machine
 		with Ondemand and xruns.


--
Len Ovens
www.ovenwerks.net