[PLUG] Hardware throttling: advice needed

[wes]

I imagine this is the output from a ./configure command. If so, I would try
./configure --cripple-atlas-performance and see what I get.

The bit about overheating is not the primary point of the warning. What
it's mainly complaining about is automated speed controls. You can look
more into the options around that later, I would think getting it to run at
all would be the first priority.

If the above doesn't work, my next question would be... why not just use
BLAS?

-wes

On Wed, Mar 7, 2018 at 10:46 AM, Rich Shepard <rshepard at appl-ecosys.com>
wrote:

>   I'm trying to compile ATLAS (Automatically Tuned Linear Algebra Software)
> on my 32-bit desktop. It's a large, complex library and the build script
> warns me to do something about a potential CPU heat problem. I don't recall
> how I complied it before so I need advice on how to fix things so it builds
> and the system stays up and running.
>
>   Here's what the script displays when it aborts:
>
> -----
>
> Architecture configured as  AMD64K10h (39)
> /tmp/ccObqLqq.o: In function `ATL_tmpnam':
> /tmp/SBo/atlas-3.10.3/BuildDir/..//CONFIG/include/atlas_sys.h:224:
> warning: the use of `tmpnam' is dangerous, better use `mkstemp'
>
> Clock rate configured as 3100Mhz
>
> Maximum number of threads configured as  2
> probe_pmake.o: In function `ATL_tmpnam':
> /tmp/SBo/atlas-3.10.3/BuildDir/..//CONFIG/include/atlas_sys.h:224:
> warning: the use of `tmpnam' is dangerous, better use `mkstemp'
> Parallel make command configured as '$(MAKE) -j 2'
> CPU Throttling apparently enabled!
> It appears you have cpu throttling enabled, which makes timings
> unreliable and an ATLAS install nonsensical.
>
> OS-controlled CPU throttling is so course grained, that timings become
> essentially random.  What this means for an ATLAS install is that ATLAS
> cannot tell the difference between a good and bad kernel, and so the
> tuning step may result in arbitrarily bad performance.  If you don't care
> about performance, you are usually better off just using the reference
> BLAS.
>
> If you fear overheating, setting clock speed to some lower, constant
> value should give you a decent install.
>
> Hardware-controlled throttling is usually much finer grained, and therefore
> may result in mediocre tuning, but this will depend quite bit on luck.
>
> If your machine has OS throttling enabled, it is critical that you disable
> it (with something like cpufreq-set).  See INSTALL.txt for details.
>
> If you you do not care at all about performance, you can rerun configure
> with --cripple-atlas-performance to proceed in the face of throttling.
> Do not do this unless you really don't care about performance.
> If you are able to turn off throttling, rerun configure as normal
> once you have done so.
>
> Aborting due to throttling
> xconfig exited with 1
>
> -----
>
>   This CPU has 2 cores. The options are beyond my knowledge of
> processor/system hardware details and I don't know which option to use nor
> how to implement it and return the system to its current state when the
> library is built.
>
>   Recommendations from those more knowledgeable than I on this issus are
> needed.
>
> TIA,
>
> Rich
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