Hi there,
on my desktopPC there is a /urs/lib/org_kde_powerdevil running which uses between 1 and 20 % of the CPU!
Can’t uninstall it because it’s required by plasma-desktop -.-
Can I at least deactivate it? If so, how?
This is some sort of bug that was surfaced a while ago, I’m not sure the state of it now. I think the patch is just taking a while to filter down. It seems a little random as to what triggers it. One of my Manjaro PCs experienced the issue months ago. Another just started with this month’s updates.
Anyway, the workaround is to edit the service to have a longer timeout.
(Note: Updated 14 Mar '24 with better instructions.)
systemctl edit --user plasma-powerdevil.service
In the area of the file where it says you can make your changes, enter this:
[Service]
TimeoutSec=15sec
Then save and exit, and run:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
1 Like
Thanks for the info.
I did end up moving the service file away since systemctl was insisting that there is no service plasma-powerdevil. Maybe not the most clever “solution” but now there is no more powerdevil spiking my CPU all the time.
Sure, that will also disable all power management on your PC though, including turning the screen off and sleep/hibernate timers. You can confirm by opening the Energy Saving settings, if powerdevil isn’t running it will show as disabled.
insisting that there is no service plasma-powerdevil
Did you include the --user flag?
Weird, the monitor still goes dark after 5 minutes but the energy saving settings says that the power management service is not running.
No, did not use the --user flag.
There’s an update wave, let’s see what happens.
Did move the file back for a test, same behaviour:
guess I’ll hide it until the next update 
systemctl --user restart plasma-powerdevil.service ✔
Job for plasma-powerdevil.service failed because a timeout was exceeded.
See "systemctl --user status plasma-powerdevil.service" and "journalctl --user -xeu plasma-powerdevil.service" for details.
journalctl --user -xeu plasma-powerdevil.service 3 ✘
░░ Automatic restarting of the unit UNIT has been scheduled, as the result for
░░ the configured Restart= setting for the unit.
░░ Automatic restarting of the unit UNIT has been scheduled, as the result for
░░ the configured Restart= setting for the unit.
Mar 06 19:48:53 silvan-PC2024 systemd[953]: Starting Powerdevil...
░░ Subject: A start job for unit UNIT has begun execution
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://forum.manjaro.org/c/support
░░
░░ A start job for unit UNIT has begun execution.
░░
░░ The job identifier is 1025.
Mar 06 19:48:53 silvan-PC2024 org_kde_powerdevil[3743]: org.kde.powerdevil: org.kde.powerdevil.chargethresholdhelper.getthreshold failed "Charge thresholds are not supported by the kernel for this hardware"
Mar 06 19:48:53 silvan-PC2024 org_kde_powerdevil[3743]: org.kde.powerdevil: org.kde.powerdevil.backlighthelper.brightness failed
Mar 06 19:48:53 silvan-PC2024 org_kde_powerdevil[3743]: ddca_get_display_info_list2 called before ddca_init2() or ddca_init()
Mar 06 19:48:53 silvan-PC2024 libddcutil[3743]: Initializing libddcutil. ddcutil version: 2.1.4, shared library: /usr/lib/libddcutil.so.5.1.2
Mar 06 19:48:54 silvan-PC2024 libddcutil[3743]: busno=7, Feature 0xdd should not exist but ddc_get_nontable_vcp_value() succeeds, returning mh=0x00 ml=0x03 sh=0x00 sl=0x03
Mar 06 19:48:55 silvan-PC2024 libddcutil[3743]: busno=8, sleep-multiplier= 1.00, Testing for unsupported feature 0xdd returned Error_Info[DDCRC_RETRIES in ddc_write_read_with_retry, causes: DDCRC_READ_ALL_ZERO(10)]
Mar 06 19:48:55 silvan-PC2024 libddcutil[3743]: Turning off dynamic sleep and retrying
Mar 06 19:48:56 silvan-PC2024 libddcutil[3743]: busno=8, sleep-multiplier = 1.00, Retesting for unsupported feature 0xdd returned Error_Info[DDCRC_RETRIES in ddc_write_read_with_retry, causes: DDCRC_READ_ALL_ZERO(10)]
Mar 06 19:48:57 silvan-PC2024 libddcutil[3743]: busno=8, sleep-multiplier= 1.00, Testing for unsupported feature 0x41 returned Error_Info[DDCRC_RETRIES in ddc_write_read_with_retry, causes: DDCRC_READ_ALL_ZERO(10)]
Mar 06 19:48:57 silvan-PC2024 libddcutil[3743]: Turning off dynamic sleep and retrying
Mar 06 19:48:58 silvan-PC2024 systemd[953]: plasma-powerdevil.service: start operation timed out. Terminating.
Mar 06 19:48:58 silvan-PC2024 systemd[953]: plasma-powerdevil.service: Failed with result 'timeout'.
░░ Subject: Unit failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://forum.manjaro.org/c/support
░░
░░ The unit UNIT has entered the 'failed' state with result 'timeout'.
Mar 06 19:48:58 silvan-PC2024 systemd[953]: Failed to start Powerdevil.
░░ Subject: A start job for unit UNIT has failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://forum.manjaro.org/c/support
░░
░░ A start job for unit UNIT has finished with a failure.
░░
░░ The job identifier is 1025 and the job result is failed.
Mar 06 19:48:58 silvan-PC2024 systemd[953]: plasma-powerdevil.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 32.
░░ Subject: Automatic restarting of a unit has been scheduled
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://forum.manjaro.org/c/support
░░
░░ Automatic restarting of the unit UNIT has been scheduled, as the result for
░░ the configured Restart= setting for the unit.
Mar 06 19:48:58 silvan-PC2024 systemd[953]: Starting Powerdevil...
░░ Subject: A start job for unit UNIT has begun execution
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://forum.manjaro.org/c/support
░░
░░ A start job for unit UNIT has begun execution.
░░
░░ The job identifier is 1045.
Mar 06 19:48:58 silvan-PC2024 org_kde_powerdevil[3766]: org.kde.powerdevil: org.kde.powerdevil.chargethresholdhelper.getthreshold failed "Charge thresholds are not supported by the kernel for this hardware"
Mar 06 19:48:58 silvan-PC2024 org_kde_powerdevil[3766]: org.kde.powerdevil: org.kde.powerdevil.backlighthelper.brightness failed
Mar 06 19:48:58 silvan-PC2024 org_kde_powerdevil[3766]: ddca_get_display_info_list2 called before ddca_init2() or ddca_init()
systemctl --user status plasma-powerdevil.service 1 ✘ 3s
● plasma-powerdevil.service - Powerdevil
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/plasma-powerdevil.service; static)
Active: activating (start) since Wed 2024-03-06 19:48:17 CET; 3s ago
Main PID: 3576 (org_kde_powerde)
Tasks: 7 (limit: 76760)
Memory: 7.6M (peak: 10.9M)
CPU: 597ms
CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/background.slice/plasma-powerdevil.service
└─3576 /usr/lib/org_kde_powerdevil
Mar 06 19:48:17 silvan-PC2024 systemd[953]: plasma-powerdevil.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 24.
Mar 06 19:48:17 silvan-PC2024 systemd[953]: Starting Powerdevil...
Mar 06 19:48:17 silvan-PC2024 org_kde_powerdevil[3576]: org.kde.powerdevil: org.kde.powerdevil.chargethresholdhelper.getthreshold failed "Charge thresholds are not supported by the kernel for this hardware"
Mar 06 19:48:17 silvan-PC2024 org_kde_powerdevil[3576]: org.kde.powerdevil: org.kde.powerdevil.backlighthelper.brightness failed
Mar 06 19:48:17 silvan-PC2024 org_kde_powerdevil[3576]: ddca_get_display_info_list2 called before ddca_init2() or ddca_init()
Mar 06 19:48:17 silvan-PC2024 libddcutil[3576]: Initializing libddcutil. ddcutil version: 2.1.4, shared library: /usr/lib/libddcutil.so.5.1.2
Mar 06 19:48:18 silvan-PC2024 libddcutil[3576]: busno=7, Feature 0xdd should not exist but ddc_get_nontable_vcp_value() succeeds, returning mh=0x00 ml=0x03 sh=0x00 sl=0x03
Mar 06 19:48:19 silvan-PC2024 libddcutil[3576]: busno=8, sleep-multiplier= 1.00, Testing for unsupported feature 0xdd returned Error_Info[DDCRC_RETRIES in ddc_write_read_with_retry, causes: DDCRC_READ_ALL_ZERO(10)]
Mar 06 19:48:19 silvan-PC2024 libddcutil[3576]: Turning off dynamic sleep and retrying
Mar 06 19:48:20 silvan-PC2024 libddcutil[3576]: busno=8, sleep-multiplier = 1.00, Retesting for unsupported feature 0xdd returned Error_Info[DDCRC_RETRIES in ddc_write_read_with_retry, causes: DDCRC_READ_ALL_ZERO(10)]
I have same problem mentioned at archlinux forum
“Process 1033 (org_kde_powerde) of user 1000 dumped core.”
And my ddcutil is 2.1.4
any chance if i will downgrade to 2.0 it will fix this issue?
Thank you.
No, it started with 2.0. And also no, you can’t downgrade to a version before 2.0 because the ABI changed.
I haven’t been following this issue because I don’t have the problem (maybe because my monitor doesn’t support DDC?) but it is strange that they have gone from 2.0 to 2.1.4 without solving this seemingly widespread issue that they introduced with 2.0 
1 Like
I have just tested the downgrading (for a different reason) and it worked.
sudo pacman -Syu manjaro-downgrade
sudo manjaro-downgrade ddcutil
# Select version 1.4.1
sudo manjaro-downgrade powerdevil
# Select 5.27.9 1
reboot
And see if this will help you.