Examining power consumption in Linux
Green IT

How much power is your system really using? And how much can you actually save with the new generation of energy-conserving techniques and components? This month we study the phenomenon known as Green IT.
The new mobile work life and the rising cost of energy have caused a flurry of innovations to promote efficiency and reduce consumption. Laptop users want more life in a single charge, and IT managers want lower electricity bills for the server room. Much of the story with the power-saving movement is about virtualization, which we have already covered in several previous issues – and will surely cover again. This month, we decided to study some other pieces of the puzzle. Our primary focus is on energy use in the life of an everyday PC, however, we do return to the virtualization topic with our study of the phenomenon known as cloud computing.
In the leadoff article, Karsten Reich looks at some techniques for reducing power use. You'll learn which components use the most power, and we'll show you some tips for minimizing power usage.
Our next article turns to the server room for a look at cloud computing with Amazon's Elastic Computer Cloud (EC2). The recent phenomenon of cloud computing is causing a stir throughout the world of IT. By leasing virtual server space on an as-needed basis, you can operate your home network with fewer resources, thus saving power and equipment costs, and still provide the capacity for peak usage moments. Dan Frost offers a practical look at how to get started with creating and uploading a Linux image for Amazon's Elastic Cloud.
In the final article of the series, our monthly Q&A columnist Klaus Knopper runs some tests to study the power consumption of three common computers. Klaus also offers a few tricks for saving power, and he shows why the advertised energy-saving products might not really make a dent in your energy bill.
If you're looking for simple ways to save energy, or if you just want a solid methodology for understanding which components of your computer system use the most power, you're sure to find something useful in this month's Green IT cover story.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
News
-
Elementary OS 5.1 Has Arrived
One of the most highly regarded Linux desktop distributions has released its next iteration.
-
Linux Mint 19.3 Will be Released by Christmas
The developers behind Linux Mint have announced 19.3 will be released by Christmas 2019.
-
Linux Kernel 5.4 Released
A number of new changes and improvements have reached the Linux kernel.
-
System76 To Design And Build Laptops In-House
In-house designed and built laptops coming from System76.
-
News and views on the GPU revolution in HPC and Big Data:
-
The PinePhone Pre-Order has Arrived
Anyone looking to finally get their hands on an early release of the PinePhone can do so as of November 15.
-
Microsoft Edge Coming to Linux
Microsoft is bringing it’s new Chromium-based Edge browser to Linux.
-
Open Invention Network Backs Gnome Project Against Patent Troll
OIN has deployed its legal team to find prior art.
-
Fedora 31 Released
The latest version of Fedora comes with new packages and libraries.
-
openSUSE OBS Can Now Build Windows WSL Images
openSUSE enables developers to build their own WSL distributions.