Ubuntu using too much battery? Here is how to increase laptop battery life in Ubuntu Linux. Users can install TLP Ubuntu power management and Slimbook battery app in Ubuntu Linux and save battery usage in Ubuntu system.
1.Install TLP in Ubuntu
TLP comes with a default configuration already optimized for battery life, so
you may just install and forget it. Nevertheless TLP is highly customizable to
fulfil your specific requirements.
TLP is a pure command line tool with automated background tasks. It does not contain a GUI.
The TLP application comes with various profiles and features when used the following settings are applied:
- Kernel laptop mode and dirty buffer params
- Processor frequency scaling including “turbo boost” / “turbo core”
- Limit Intel CPU max/min P-state to control power dissipation (Intel P-state only)
- Intel CPU energy/performance policies HWP.EPP (Intel P-state only) and EPB
- Disk drive advanced power management level (APM) and spin down timeout
- AHCI link power management (ALPM) with device blacklist
- AHCI runtime power management for host controllers and disks (EXPERIMENTAL)
- PCIe active state power management (PCIe ASPM)
- Runtime power management for PCIe bus devices
- Intel GPU frequency limits
- Radeon graphics power management (KMS and DPM)
- Wifi power saving mode
- Enable/disable integrated radio devices (excluding connected devices)
- Power off optical drive in UltraBay/MediaBay
- Audio power saving mode
TLP also has various additional settings and features :
- I/O scheduler (per disk)
- USB autosuspend with device blacklist/whitelist (input devices excluded automatically)
- Enable or disable integrated radio devices upon system startup and shutdown
- Restore radio device state on system startup (from previous shutdown)
- Radio device wizard: switch radios upon network connect/disconnect and dock/undock
- Disable Wake On LAN
- Integrated WWAN and bluetooth state is restored after suspend/hibernate
- Battery charge thresholds and recalibration – ThinkPads only
To install the TLP power management tool from Ubuntu Linux Systems, run the following commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:linrunner/tlp-beta
sudo apt update
sudo apt install tlp
NOTE: Please make sure to uninstall the previous version of TLP {if already installed}.
The default configuration provides optimized power saving out of the box. Settings are stored in /etc/default/tlp; see Configuration for details.
To completely remove the TLP power management tool from Ubuntu Linux Systems, run the following commands:
sudo apt install ppa-purge
sudo ppa-purge ppa:linrunner/tlp-beta
sudo apt remove tlp tlp-rdw
More info about the TLP tool can be read at https://github.com/linrunner/TLP/releases
2. Install slimbook app
Slimbook app is battery saver for Ubuntu. This app helps to improve battery life in Ubuntu Linux Systems. Slimbook Battery 3 is the application developed by Slimbook to optimize battery of laptops.
The app comes with the integration with other applications, services and drivers like TLP, intel_pstate, AMD and NVIDIA. This means that this application it’s not only compatible with SLIMBOOK computers but with other brands and computer manufacturers that works with Ubuntu and derivatives.
The application implements three different energy modes: «energy saving», «balanced» and «maximum performance». Each energy mode comes with default values but the user is allowed to change the most important values, to adjust or avoid errors in their hardware.
Run the following commands in terminal to install slimbook app on Ubuntu
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt update
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:slimbook/slimbook
sudo apt update
sudo apt install slimbookbattery
Once installed, open Slimbook app from Ubuntu Dash or Terminal.
Using Slimbook is very easy. It has a very easy to use interface and comes with the following buttons and options:
The first three buttons are used to switch between the different energy saving modes (Energy saving, balanced y maximum performace). The following should be taken into account:
- When an energy saving mode is selected, authentication will be requested. If we do not introduce it, the application will not change to the desired saving mode.
- The indicator icon of the bar will change color to the corresponding one with its mode: green (Energy saving), blue (Balanced) and orange (Maximum performance).
- We will know that the application is not using any mode because our bar indicator icon will be gray.
The fourth button (Off) will allow us to deactivate the energy saving mode that is being used at that moment. When is selected authentication will be requested and when we are authenticated, our bar indicator icon will turn gray. Our laptop will use normal resources and have a normal power consumption, if we use this button.
The fifth button (Advanced mode) will open the application preferences window of the application to be able to configure it. We can also view battery information and information about the application. Later, we will discuss in detail about this.
The last button (Exit) allows us to close the application and deactivates any energy saving mode that was active at that moment. It will ask us for authentication in case some energy saving mode is working.
How to improve battery life in Ubuntu Linux originally posted on Source Digit – Linux, Ubuntu Tutorials & News, Technology, Gadgets & Gizmos.