Enabling "Monitor Power Saver" features HOWTO

BarryMead · n00b Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 5

Many distros already have "Monitor Power Saver" features enabled by default. Gentoo linux does not. So this it how you do it.

1. Edit the /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.X file (where X is 4 or 6) and add the line:
apm
This will cause the Automatic Power Management kernel module to load at boot time. Alternatively (if you didn't use genkernel) you can enable APM in the kernel config and have it permanently compiled into your kernel.

2. emerge apmd

3. rc-update add apmd default

4. edit the file /etc/conf.d/apmd and remove the "proxy-timeout 30" clause from the line in that file. (This option does not work at least in the 2.4 kernel it does not work. I haven't tried the 2.6 kernel)

5. Edit the /etc/X11/XF86Config file and add the line:
Option "DPMS"
in the device section right below the Driver "nvidia" line. Note your video card's driver may be different.

6. Reboot and watch the bootup text for the loading of the "apm" kernel module and the "apmd" daemon.

7. Assuming yor window manger is KDE go into the "K" button, "Settings" selector, "Control Center" selector. Expand the "Power Control" plus sign and select "Display Power Control".

8. Check the check box marked "Enable Display Power Management".

9. Slide the Sliders for "Standby", "Suspend", or "Power Off" to the desired times and click the "Apply" button.

That's It! You now have automatic power down control for your monitor.

Shan · Guru Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 558 Location: /dev/null

What about those of us not using KDE? Are Gnome, [Flux|Black|Open]box, enlightenment and FVWM (and any others I've missed) left in the dark?

Not meaning to pick at you but I'm curious if this is a KDE only thing or not.
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jbpros · Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2004 10:58 am Post subject:

Maybe you should add the word "howto" in your post's subject, a good keyword for people seraching the forums

scoon · Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2004 11:43 am Post subject:

stahlsau · Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2004 12:17 pm Post subject:

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 17811

Moved from Installing Gentoo.
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vdboor · Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2004 8:26 pm Post subject:

Monkeywrench · Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2004 8:41 pm Post subject:

It seems like this all only works in X? Even without X, the backlight is still on, right? :oops:

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BlindSpy · Apprentice Joined: 20 Mar 2004 Posts: 263

amittp · Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2004 2:03 pm Post subject:

The standby time and offtimes are written in Camel notations unlime shown with space before. (unless there is change in xorg which I dunno )

Shan · Guru Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 558 Location: /dev/null

Stupid question, whats "no zoom" do? Presumably it "doesn't zoom" but I've never had a case of it zooming before 0.o
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Monkeywrench · Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2004 6:27 am Post subject:

Shan · Guru Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 558 Location: /dev/null

WackyDoo · n00b Joined: 16 Mar 2004 Posts: 44 Location: Ottawa

Monkeywrench · Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2004 8:38 pm Post subject:

Shan · Guru Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 558 Location: /dev/null

Vidar · Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2004 10:05 pm Post subject:

I'm stuck... Is this not suppsed to work with acpi?

My kernel dmesg:

Monkeywrench · Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 8:07 am Post subject:

vidar: as far as I know, ACPI is newer and superior to APM. Do you have both enabled? If so, I'd probably disable APM :oops:

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Vidar · Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 8:15 am Post subject:

Yeah, it seems to work anyway. The original post and my xorg log seems to suggest that it specificially wants apm though. Pretty spiffy though... my monitor used to really heat up.
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DaveAtFraud · Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2004 12:55 pm Post subject: Data Point

I finally got the monitor for my box to power down automagically through xscreensaver. The system is a dual Athlon so APM is unusable and I can only use ACPI. It seems that for ACPI you just need to have the Option = "DPMS" lines in XF86config. The "(WW) Open APM failed (/dev/apm_bios) (No such file or directory)" complaint is still there (correctly) but the monitor now powers down.

BTW, it appears that the Option = "DPMS" can be given to both the monitor and the video card sections of XF86config. I'd guess that having it in both allows the system to actually use DPMS to power down the monitor rather than just no longer sending a video signal but that's way below the level I want to try to figure out how this all works.
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dmitrio · Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2004 12:06 pm Post subject: :. copied to gentoo-wiki.com

I have copied this HOWTO, with permission of BarryMead, amittp and scoon to gentoo-wiki.com
http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Enabling_Monitor_Power_Saver
If you see anything that should be added or changed, feel free to do so.

Thank you for a great HOWTO.
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