How to use the command "battop" (with examples)

Battop is an interactive viewer for the batteries installed in your notebook. It provides detailed information about your batteries, such as their current charge level, status, and remaining runtime. By using the “battop” command, you can easily keep track of your battery usage and make informed decisions about power management.

Use case 1: Display battery information

Code:

battop

Motivation: Viewing battery information is essential for understanding the current state of your battery. This can be particularly useful when you’re working on a laptop, as it allows you to monitor the battery health and estimate the remaining runtime.

Explanation: The “battop” command without any additional arguments displays the battery information in a visually appealing and interactive way. It provides details such as battery name, charge level, status (charging or discharging), and remaining runtime.

Example output:

                  ┌─────────┐
                  │ Battery │
                  │         │
   ┌────────────┬ └─────────┘ ┬────────────┬
   │ Status     │ Charging    │ Discharging│
   │ Charge     │ 95%         │ 50%        │
   │ Remaining  │ 01:30       │ 03:45      │
   └────────────┴─────────────┴────────────┘

Use case 2: Change battery information measurement unit (default: human)

Code:

battop -u human|si

Motivation: Often, it is convenient to see battery information in a specific measurement unit. For example, some users may prefer human-readable units (e.g., hours and minutes), while others may prefer the International System of Units (SI) for battery measurements. This option allows you to choose the unit that fits your preferences or requirements.

Explanation: The “-u” argument with the options “human” or “si” is used to specify the unit of measurement for the battery information. By default, the “human” unit is used, which provides time remaining in hours and minutes. If you prefer the SI unit system, you can specify “-u si” to display battery information in seconds.

Example output (with “-u si”):

                  ┌─────────┐
                  │ Battery │
                  │         │
   ┌────────────┬ └─────────┘ ┬────────────┬
   │ Status     │ Charging    │ Discharging│
   │ Charge     │ 95%         │ 50%        │
   │ Remaining  │ 5400s       │ 13500s     │
   └────────────┴─────────────┴────────────┘

Conclusion:

The “battop” command is a powerful tool for monitoring and understanding the batteries installed in your notebook. With its interactive interface and various options, it provides detailed battery information that can help you manage your power usage efficiently. Whether you need to check the current charge level, estimate the remaining runtime, or customize the unit of measurement, “battop” has you covered. By using this command, you can ensure that you are making the most of your notebook’s battery life.