Optimize Battery Power Usage with PowerTOP (with examples)

Calibrate power usage measurements

Code

sudo powertop --calibrate

Motivation Calibrating power usage measurements is important to ensure accurate readings. PowerTOP provides a convenient command to calibrate the power usage measurements. By calibrating the measurements, PowerTOP can provide more accurate estimates of battery power usage.

Explanation The --calibrate option instructs PowerTOP to calibrate the power usage measurements. When this command is executed with sudo, PowerTOP will analyze the system power usage and calibrate the measurements. It is recommended to run this command periodically, especially after significant changes to the system configuration or when troubleshooting battery power issues.

Example Output No explicit output is generated by the --calibrate command. However, the calibration process improves the accuracy of the power usage measurements provided by PowerTOP.

Generate HTML power usage report in the current directory

Code

sudo powertop --html=power_report.html

Motivation Generating an HTML power usage report can be helpful for analyzing power consumption patterns and identifying power-hungry processes. PowerTOP can generate an interactive HTML report that provides detailed information about the system’s power usage.

Explanation The --html=power_report.html option tells PowerTOP to generate an HTML power usage report and save it as power_report.html in the current directory. The generated report contains various sections with detailed information, such as a summary of power behavior, a breakdown of power usage by application and device, and recommendations for optimizing power consumption.

Example Output After executing the command, PowerTOP will generate an HTML report named power_report.html in the current directory. This report can be opened with a web browser and provides detailed information and recommendations for optimizing power usage.

Tune to optimal settings

Code

sudo powertop --auto-tune

Motivation PowerTOP can automatically tune the system to optimal settings for power consumption. This feature is particularly useful for users who want to maximize battery life without manually adjusting system settings.

Explanation The --auto-tune option instructs PowerTOP to automatically tune the system to optimal settings for power consumption. When this command is executed with sudo, PowerTOP will apply recommended power-saving changes to the system’s configuration. This can include disabling unused devices, reducing CPU frequency, and optimizing power management settings.

Example Output No explicit output is generated by the --auto-tune command. However, PowerTOP applies the recommended power-saving changes in the background, optimizing the system’s settings for power consumption.

Generate a report for a specified number of seconds

Code

sudo powertop --time=5

Motivation Generating power usage reports for a specific duration can help analyze power consumption patterns during specific activities or usage scenarios. PowerTOP allows users to define the duration for which the power usage report should be generated.

Explanation The --time=5 option sets the duration for which PowerTOP should generate the power usage report to 5 seconds. By specifying a different value, users can customize the duration of the report according to their specific requirements. The default duration is 20 seconds.

Example Output After running the command, PowerTOP will generate a power usage report covering the specified duration (in this case, 5 seconds). The report provides detailed information about power consumption patterns during that timeframe, helping users identify any power-hungry processes or activities.