Would it be possible

crash893 · 2006-03-22, 05:09

Would it be possible to write something that would repleace the "system idle process" with a thread from prime95

i suspect that you would have to use some rootkit like technology to replace the proccess but it seems that it would be too too hard

moo · 2006-03-22, 05:43

um why..... i could easially write a mass deployment script for you but i wouldnt its mine you hear all mine...

ColdFury · 2006-03-22, 06:18

No, the "system idle thread" isn't a process and it usually isn't even a thread either. Its usually just a loop in the scheduler. On Linux for example, all the "idle thread" does is call the cpu halt instruction (on x86) over and over to reduce power consumption. I'd imagine windows does something similar.

crash893 · 2006-03-22, 07:22

The way i understood it is that your cpu can not be truly idle it has to be doing something so when there is a gap in work to do System idle proccess feeds the cpu simple work to do (something like 1+1)

i never though if it not being an acutall tread but mabey some one with a little more windows wisdom could chime in

the idea is basicly to replace the kernel proccess that give the cpu the simple work to do with a prime95 thread

Mystwalker · 2006-03-22, 08:03

Actually, it feeds no simple work, but tells the CPU that it can rest now - esp. mobile CPUs indeed decrease its power consumption (lowering voltage and/or frequency).

ColdFury · 2006-03-22, 17:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by crash893

The way i understood it is that your cpu can not be truly idle it has to be doing something so when there is a gap in work to do System idle proccess feeds the cpu simple work to do (something like 1+1)

i never though if it not being an acutall tread but mabey some one with a little more windows wisdom could chime in

the idea is basicly to replace the kernel proccess that give the cpu the simple work to do with a prime95 thread

Yes, the idle thread executes the halt instruction which shuts down the processor for a brief period (actually until a timer interrupt), and reduces power consumption.

To do what you want would require putting the Prime95 code in kernel space. This would be quite tricky, as (at least in Linux) you can't use floating point registers in kernel space.

Moreover, it wouldn't really gain you anything. The idle thread only runs when nothing else is eligible to run. Replacing the idle thread with Prime95 (if you could) is exactly the same as running Prime95.

cheesehead · 2006-03-24, 20:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColdFury

Replacing the idle thread with Prime95 (if you could) is exactly the same as running Prime95.

... until one attempts to uninstall it, perhaps.

2006-03-22, 05:09	#1
crash893 Sep 2002 100101000₂ Posts	Would it be possible Would it be possible to write something that would repleace the "system idle process" with a thread from prime95 i suspect that you would have to use some rootkit like technology to replace the proccess but it seems that it would be too too hard

2006-03-22, 05:43	#2
moo Jul 2004 Nowhere 809₁₀ Posts	um why..... i could easially write a mass deployment script for you but i wouldnt its mine you hear all mine...

2006-03-22, 06:18	#3
ColdFury Aug 2002 2⁶·5 Posts	No, the "system idle thread" isn't a process and it usually isn't even a thread either. Its usually just a loop in the scheduler. On Linux for example, all the "idle thread" does is call the cpu halt instruction (on x86) over and over to reduce power consumption. I'd imagine windows does something similar.

2006-03-22, 07:22	#4
crash893 Sep 2002 2³×37 Posts	The way i understood it is that your cpu can not be truly idle it has to be doing something so when there is a gap in work to do System idle proccess feeds the cpu simple work to do (something like 1+1) i never though if it not being an acutall tread but mabey some one with a little more windows wisdom could chime in the idea is basicly to replace the kernel proccess that give the cpu the simple work to do with a prime95 thread

2006-03-22, 08:03	#5
Mystwalker Jul 2004 Potsdam, Germany 3·277 Posts	Actually, it feeds no simple work, but tells the CPU that it can rest now - esp. mobile CPUs indeed decrease its power consumption (lowering voltage and/or frequency).