Multicore performance --

I've recently come back to OpenBSD on a laptop, running it on a Panasonic Toughbook. I've noticed something that I'm not sure used to be this way a few years back (around 6.4 or so?):

When multiple processes try to run kernel locked syscalls, they spend a lot of CPU time spinning on the kernel lock, quickly burning through the battery. I'm pretty sure it didn't use to be that way 5 years ago.

Did something change? Or am I misremembering?

=> Posted in: s/OpenBSD | 🌲 greg

2024-10-07 · 3 months ago · 👍 norayr, magnusmww

2 Comments ↓

=> 🐐 drh3xx [mod] · Oct 08 at 11:50:

I can't think of anything specific but 7.6 has just dropped with a fair number of locks removed (mainly network stack but a little elsewhere too) so be interesting to see how it compares for you against 7.5. Most peoples issues with battery life and CPU temps were due to changes made a good few releases back now but Solene put together a nice little daemon to limit temps/clocks more dynamically obsdfreqd which helps alot.

=> 🐙 norayr · Oct 31 at 04:21:

if you are got back to the same laptop five years later, maybe the battery is not in good shape now?