Webcam uses excessive power even when idle

[arsenix]

Machine is an HP Elitebook 8540w. It is equipped with a Chicony webcam (USB ID 04f2:b15e). Powertop reported that this device was using around 2W of power even when idle, despite the fact that /sys/bus/usb/devices/XXX/power/level was reporting "auto". Explicitly setting the power/level to auto caused it to go into sleep mode, and powertop subsequently reported 0mW power consumption from the device. Likewise, explicitly adding a udev rule to set the power level to auto caused it to enter idle mode by default on bootup.

After explicit setting of power level to auto camera still functions perfectly when needed and properly sleeps again after program exits.

2W is a significant amount of power even for this hog of a machine (typically uses 26W).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: linux-image-3.0.0-12-generic 3.0.0-12.19
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.19-generic 3.0.4
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: jpeverill 2479 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: jpeverill 2479 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xd7520000 irq 61'
   Mixer name : 'IDT 92HD75B3X5'
   Components : 'HDA:111d7603,103c1521,00100202 HDA:11c11040,103c3066,00100200'
   Controls : 14
   Simple ctrls : 9
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'NVidia'/'HDA NVidia at 0xd3000000 irq 17'
   Mixer name : 'Nvidia GPU 0d HDMI/DP'
   Components : 'HDA:10de000d,10de0101,00100100'
   Controls : 16
   Simple ctrls : 4
Date: Thu Sep 29 10:54:23 2011
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=225ce4fd-7e06-4c7c-937f-821d810a7487
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP EliteBook 8540w
PccardctlIdent:
 Socket 0:
   product info: "RICOH", "Bay8Controller", "", ""
   manfid: 0x0000, 0x0000
   function: 254 (unknown)
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   3.3V 16-bit PC Card
   Subdevice 0 (function 0) bound to driver "pata_pcmcia"
ProcEnviron:
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
ProcKernelCmdLine: root=UUID=4a4cfeb0-ad39-4293-bcaf-000d6538b550 ro quiet splash
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.0.0-12-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.0.0-12-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.60
SourcePackage: linux
StagingDrivers: mei
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-09-24 (4 days ago)
WpaSupplicantLog:

dmi.bios.date: 03/09/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.bios.version: 68CVD Ver. F.0F
dmi.board.name: 1521
dmi.board.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.board.version: KBC Version 32.33
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvr68CVDVer.F.0F:bd03/09/2011:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPEliteBook8540w:pvr:rvnHewlett-Packard:rn1521:rvrKBCVersion32.33:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct10:cvr:
dmi.product.name: HP EliteBook 8540w
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard

[arsenix (arsenix)]

On second look it appears the udev rule did not put the issue down. I will do some additional testing but it appears that the device starts using excessive power again after a suspend/resume cycle. Resetting the power level to "auto" again turns it off.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

Thank you for taking the time to file a bug report on this issue.

However, given the number of bugs that the Kernel Team receives during any development cycle it is impossible for us to review them all. Therefore, we occasionally resort to using automated bots to request further testing. This is such a request.

We have noted that there is a newer version of the development kernel than the one you last tested when this issue was found. Please test again with the newer kernel and indicate in the bug if this issue still exists or not.

If the bug still exists, change the bug status from Incomplete to Confirmed. If the bug no longer exists, change the bug status from Incomplete to Fix Released.

Thank you for your help, we really do appreciate it.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . If possible, please test the latest kernel (Not a kernel in the daily directory). Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag(Only that one tag, please leave the others). This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text.

If this bug is fixed by the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream-KERNEL-VERSION'. For example, if kernel version 3.1-rc9 fixed and issue, the tag would be: 'kernel-fixed-upstream-v3.1-rc9'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

Thanks in advance.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

arsenix, this bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? If so, could you please test for this with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ .

If it remains an issue, could you please run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), as it will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report:

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

Also, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available (not the daily folder) following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds ? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

where VERSION-NUMBER is the version number of the kernel you tested. For example:
kernel-fixed-upstream-v3.13-rc3

This can be done by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon next to the word Tags located at the bottom of the bug description. As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results. Thank you for your understanding.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]