Comment 104 for bug 620074

(In reply to comment #90)
> This means I need to recompile kernel without high resolution timer and then
> pass clocksource=jiffies?
No, it shouldn't be possible to run the kernel using jiffies as a clocksource. The system's time source needs to have a sufficiently high resolution. Using a low resolution time source (like jiffies) can cause the kernel to hang.

>
> Do we have an explanation for why the freezing period reduced to half with
> acpi_pm and to a quarter with jiffies for Thomas? I would have thought faster
> timers will result in better behavior and it was a step in the future
> direction. But we seem to be going backwards.
It's far more complicated than that. If we have a timer wrapping around, it is entirely possible that a slower clock source would give you expected behavior whereas a higher resolution time source would fail. It completely depends upon the source of the freezes.

Jens, what do you think in light of this growing body of evidence pointing towards timer issues?