Battery Life Optimizer

A comprehensive tool suite for optimizing Linux laptop battery life using TLP and PowerTOP.

🔋 Overview

This repository provides scripts, configurations, and tools to maximize your Linux laptop's battery life through advanced power management. The toolkit includes automated installation scripts, optimized configuration files, and monitoring tools.

✨ Features

• Automated Installation: One-command setup for TLP and PowerTOP
• Optimized Configurations: Pre-tuned settings for maximum battery life
• Monitoring Tools: Real-time battery and power consumption monitoring
• Power Analysis: Detailed PowerTOP reports and recommendations
• Profile Management: Easy switching between power profiles
• Safety First: Backup and rollback capabilities

🚀 Quick Start

1. Install TLP and PowerTOP

# Clone or download this repository
cd battery_life

# Run the installation script
./scripts/install.sh

2. Monitor Your Battery

# Show current battery status
./scripts/battery-monitor.sh

# Watch battery status in real-time
./scripts/battery-monitor.sh --watch

3. Analyze Power Consumption

# Generate a PowerTOP report
./scripts/powertop-analyze.sh

# Apply automatic optimizations
./scripts/powertop-analyze.sh --auto-tune

4. Manage TLP Settings

# Show TLP status
./scripts/tlp-manager.sh

# Get optimization recommendations
./scripts/tlp-manager.sh --recommendations

# Switch to power saving profile
./scripts/tlp-manager.sh --profile powersave

📁 Directory Structure

battery_life/
├── scripts/
│   ├── install.sh           # Installation script
│   ├── uninstall.sh         # Uninstallation script
│   ├── battery-monitor.sh   # Battery status monitor
│   ├── powertop-analyze.sh  # PowerTOP analysis tool
│   └── tlp-manager.sh       # TLP configuration manager
├── config/
│   ├── tlp.conf            # Optimized TLP configuration
│   └── powertop.service    # PowerTOP systemd service
├── docs/
│   └── [Documentation files]
└── README.md

🛠️ Detailed Usage

Installation Script

The installation script (scripts/install.sh) automatically:

• Installs TLP and PowerTOP packages
• Configures systemd services
• Applies optimized settings
• Creates backup of existing configurations
• Installs additional power management tools

Features:

• Automatic system detection
• ThinkPad-specific optimizations
• Safe installation with rollback options
• Comprehensive logging

Battery Monitor

Real-time battery monitoring with detailed information:

# Single status check
./scripts/battery-monitor.sh

# Continuous monitoring (updates every 5 seconds)
./scripts/battery-monitor.sh --watch

Information displayed:

• Battery capacity and status
• Charging/discharging time estimates
• Power consumption
• AC adapter status
• System efficiency metrics
• Power saving tips

PowerTOP Analysis

Generate detailed power consumption reports:

# Generate 60-second HTML report
./scripts/powertop-analyze.sh

# Custom duration and format
./scripts/powertop-analyze.sh --duration 120 --format html

# Apply automatic optimizations
./scripts/powertop-analyze.sh --auto-tune

# Show latest report in browser
./scripts/powertop-analyze.sh --show-report

Report formats:

• HTML: Interactive web-based reports
• CSV: Data for spreadsheet analysis
• TXT: Plain text for terminal viewing

TLP Manager

Comprehensive TLP configuration management:

# Show current TLP status
./scripts/tlp-manager.sh --status

# Display configuration details
./scripts/tlp-manager.sh --config

# Get optimization recommendations
./scripts/tlp-manager.sh --recommendations

# Switch power profiles
./scripts/tlp-manager.sh --profile powersave|balanced|performance

# Force battery/AC mode
./scripts/tlp-manager.sh --toggle-mode

⚙️ Configuration Details

TLP Configuration

The optimized TLP configuration (config/tlp.conf) includes:

• CPU Management: Aggressive power saving governors
• Disk Settings: Optimized APM levels and timeouts
• Graphics: Power-efficient GPU settings
• USB: Smart autosuspend with device blacklists
• Audio: Power saving for sound devices
• Battery Thresholds: Smart charging limits (ThinkPad)
• Radio Devices: Automatic wireless management

Key Optimizations

1. CPU Scaling: Uses powersave governor on battery
2. Frequency Limits: Reduces max CPU frequency on battery
3. Turbo Boost: Disabled on battery to save power
4. Disk Power Management: Aggressive APM settings
5. USB Autosuspend: Enabled with smart device handling
6. Wireless Management: Auto-disable unused radios
7. Battery Charging: Smart thresholds to extend battery life

🔧 Customization

Modifying TLP Settings

1. Edit the configuration file:

   sudo nano /etc/tlp.conf
   

2. Or modify the template and reinstall:

   nano config/tlp.conf
   ./scripts/install.sh  # Will backup and apply new config
   

Adding Custom Optimizations

Create additional scripts in the scripts/ directory following the existing patterns. All scripts include:

• Error handling and safety checks
• Colored output for better readability
• Comprehensive logging
• Usage instructions

📊 Expected Results

Typical battery life improvements:

• Light usage: 20-40% improvement
• Normal usage: 15-30% improvement
• Heavy usage: 10-20% improvement

Results vary based on:

• Hardware configuration
• Usage patterns
• Existing system settings
• Battery age and health

🔍 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. TLP not starting: Check service status with systemctl status tlp
2. PowerTOP requires sudo: This is normal for hardware access
3. Settings not persisting: Ensure TLP service is enabled
4. Conflicts with other power managers: Disable conflicting services

Debug Information

# Check TLP status and configuration
sudo tlp-stat

# View TLP service logs
journalctl -u tlp.service

# Test PowerTOP without changes
sudo powertop --time=10

Getting Help

1. Check the logs in /var/log/ for error messages
2. Run tlp-stat to see current configuration
3. Use the troubleshooting commands in each script
4. Review the official documentation:
   • TLP Documentation
   • PowerTOP Guide

🔄 Uninstallation

To remove all components:

./scripts/uninstall.sh

This will:

• Restore original configurations
• Remove installed packages (with confirmation)
• Clean up created services
• Preserve your data and reports

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Test thoroughly on your system
2. Include error handling and logging
3. Follow the existing code style
4. Update documentation as needed

⚠️ Disclaimer

• Test in a safe environment first
• Some optimizations may reduce performance
• Hardware compatibility may vary
• Always backup important data
• Use at your own risk

📜 License

This project is provided as-is for educational and practical use. Feel free to modify and distribute according to your needs.

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Happy power saving! 🔋✨

For questions or issues, please check the troubleshooting section or create an issue with detailed system information.