Using PowerTop to save Battery Power (Part 1)

I was playing with PowerTop. Powertop is a tool to help you identify applications and programs that uses power even when the computer is idle. According to LessWatts.org, Powertop has these four basic goals:

  • Show how well your system is using the various hardware power-saving features
  • Show you the culprit software components that are preventing optimal usage of your hardware power savings
  • Help Linux developers test their application and achieve optimal behavior
  • Provide you with tuning suggestions to achieve low power consumption

So much for the introduction.
To install powertop, just use
# apt-get install powertop
# yum install powertop
It should be found in most distro.

# powertop
I'm pretty new to the powertop, so I follow the recommendation.
To make some of the recommedendation permanent, I've placed the configuration in the /etc/acpi/battery.d diretory and name is 16-optimisation.sh.

# cd /etc/acpi/battery.d # touch 16.optimsation.sh
# chmod 755 16.optimsation.sh
# vim 16-optimisation.sh

#------------------------------------------------------
echo 1500 > /proc/sys/vm/dirty_writeback_centisecs
echo 5 > /proc/sys/vm/laptop_mode
iwpriv eth1 set_power 5
hal-disable-polling --device /dev/scd0
#-------------------------------------------------------

To continue Using PowerTop to save Battery Power (Part 2)
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