[syslinux] Domain-specific HLT when idle

[H. Peter Anvin]

Geert Stappers wrote:
> 
> Probably should 'halt_on_idle' be default
> and is a 'no_halt_on_idle' or a 'active_poll' needed.
> 
> 'active_poll' has to be mentioned in de section 'serial port' of the docs.
> 

I really don't like this.  Chicken flags are hopeless; one way the
feature doesn't get used, the other way it still has all the downsides.

That doesn't mean that there isn't a possibility of going to a low-power
mode after a timeout or something like that.

This isn't just a virtualization issue, either; modern hardware can
easily burn *massively* more power without idle support.  However, doing
it at the cost of reliability simply isn't an option...

	-hpa

-- 
H. Peter Anvin, Intel Open Source Technology Center
I work for Intel.  I don't speak on their behalf.