linux on a laptop, dont want to fry my processor

i want to run linux on my dell inspiron, but i've heard that if i run it for too long without acpi, or with acpi misconfigured, it will toast my processor. so i figure i need to get acpi up and running as quick as possible, but i think i would need to recompile my kernel to use acpi. i'm worried that since compiling is strenuous on the processor it might put some wear and tear on it, should i be concerned?

also, once i have acpi up and running, is there any way i can tell if it's not working properly? it will warn me if things start going wrong, right? i'd hate to have it come up and everything looks dandy and then a few months later... boom, processor goes because of some glitch or hardware conflict between my laptop and acpi.

My dear chap!

Dell Inspiron = computer?
Linux = Operating system?

Now, if you can tell me or point me to a link that shows how an operating system can toast a processor I would be very interested :D

Please forgive my sarcasm, I just could not resist.....................now to business: ACPI is your advanced power management. This is really all to do about your battery and nothing to do with the processor.

If your power management is not well configured your machine will not run so long on a single charge of its battery. Once again, you will not damage the hardware..............it neither knows nor cares what OS you are running............it just delivers current and voltage ;) It just won't run for as long.

:)

lol, i read a faq thing on linux-laptops.net or tuxmobile.com and it mentioned that not using acpi would fry a processor. thx nihil ;)

No worries mate!

It is the battery. It won't "toast" it, but a rechargeable cell will only run for a certain number of cycles. I guess that makes a lappy battery run for around 2 years?

If you use power management, the thing discharges much slower, so you get a longer life. In reality it goes for 500 cycles or whatever, but these last longer.

To put it crudely, if the battery will run for 500 cycles and you charge it once a day, it will go for 500 days, at twice per day, it won't last a year?

In reality they deteriorate rather than die :)