ACPI processor driver updates [idle, throttling, cpufreq, thermal]

The following patches which
- a) replace the broken ACPI CPUfreq driver with a better, flexible variant,
- b) modularize the processor.c code: instead of one large file there are many small files.
- c) improve passive cooling support
- d) allow for easy adding of proper locking and ref-counting in processor.c have been re-diffed against linux-2.6.0-test6-bk-current and are available on my website.
Len, I'll send them to you in private e-mail for easier merging later.

Please apply.

Dominik

http://www.brodo.de/patches/2003-10-06/acpi-2.6.0-test6-2-remove_previous_pstates_implementation
The previous arch/i386/kernel/cpu/cpufreq/acpi.c CPUfreq driver was broken, of bad design, and needs to replaced by something better. But, as a first step, remove all parts related to P-States from ACPI code.

http://www.brodo.de/patches/2003-10-06/acpi-2.6.0-test6-2-processor_submodules
Add a "submodule interface" to drivers/acpi/processor.c

It allows to create other "modules" which access the acpi_handle for the processor, and which get notified if the event value maches the value passed in acpi_processor_register_notify.

http://www.brodo.de/patches/2003-10-06/acpi-2.6.0-test6-2-processor_perflib
This patch adds a new "P-States library" to drivers/acpi/

CPUfreq drivers can now easly access the contents of the _PCT and the _PSS. For example, the speedstep-centrino driver could be appended so that it passes the appropriate value to the P-States library which then evaluates _PDC, and then returns the updated _PCT and _PSS.

Also, the platform limit is now handled as a cpufreq notifier and as a call to cpufreq_policy_update.

http://www.brodo.de/patches/2003-10-06/acpi-2.6.0-test6-2-new_acpi_io_driver
This re-adds the acpi P-States I/O driver. It is much smaller, leaner and cleaner.

http://www.brodo.de/patches/2003-10-06/acpi-2.6.0-test6-2-idle_submodule
This moves the idle handler out of drivers/acpi/processor and into an own module.

Even if only C1 is available, it is now used. If the user prefers the default pm_idle, he can unload processor_idle, and still have the other functionality available.

http://www.brodo.de/patches/2003-10-06/acpi-2.6.0-test6-2-thermal_submodule
This adds a new mechanism to manage passive cooling. Instead of hardcoded -and partly wrong- access to CPUfreq and ACPI throttling-, add a generic mechanism which other modules can register with.

http://www.brodo.de/patches/2003-10-06/acpi-2.6.0-test6-2-thermal_cpufreq
Use _any_ CPUfreq driver for passive cooling. Implemented by an cpufreq policy notifier and cpufreq_update_policy.

http://www.brodo.de/patches/2003-10-06/acpi-2.6.0-test6-2-thermal_throttling
Move throttling into its own submodule, and register it with the new passive cooling module. Also, the now-useless "limit" interface is removed.