powertop

Calibrate power usage measurements

$ sudo powertop --calibrate

$ sudo powertop --html=[power_report.html]

$ sudo powertop --auto-tune

$ sudo powertop --time=[5]

powertop [options]

-h, --help
    Display help message and exit.

--auto-tune
    Apply various power saving tunables automatically. This should reduce power consumption but may affect stability.

--calibrate
    Run calibration sequence (takes some time).

--csv=[filename]
    Save output to a CSV file for later analysis.

--debug
    Enable debug output.

--dump=[filename]
    Dump current power state to a file.

--file=[filename]
    Read data from a file (usually a saved powertop --dump).

--html=[filename]
    Generate an HTML report.

--idle-report
    Show idle stats report.

--time=[seconds]
    Run powertop for the specified number of seconds.

--version
    Display version information and exit.

Powertop is a Linux tool designed to diagnose issues with power consumption and system activity.
It analyzes the system's power usage and identifies processes, device drivers, and hardware components that contribute most significantly to energy consumption.
Powertop helps users understand and optimize their system's power efficiency by providing actionable recommendations, such as tuning kernel parameters or suggesting software configurations, to reduce power waste.
The tool operates by monitoring the frequency of wakeups (interrupts) from various hardware and software components, presenting a ranked list based on the perceived power draw. It also displays device states and provides suggestions for improving their power management.
While Powertop is valuable for identifying power hogs, it's crucial to interpret its findings carefully, as some processes deemed power-intensive may be essential for system functionality. It also allows the user to toggle tunable parameters, though these settings may not persist across reboots without proper configuration.

The tunables suggested by Powertop may not always be appropriate for all systems or use cases, and applying them blindly could lead to instability or unexpected behavior. Changes made through Powertop are not persistent across reboots unless manually configured to be so.

When run without arguments, Powertop presents an interactive interface with various tabs: Overview, Idle stats, Frequency stats, Device stats, Tunables, and Suggestions. These tabs provide different perspectives on power consumption and optimization opportunities.

The Tunables tab allows users to toggle various power-saving settings. However, it is important to understand the implications of each setting before changing it.

The Suggestions tab offers specific actions to reduce power consumption, such as disabling unused devices or tweaking kernel parameters. Applying these suggestions can improve battery life.

Powertop was developed by Intel to assist in diagnosing and resolving power consumption issues in Linux systems, particularly on laptops. It has become a standard tool for developers and system administrators to understand and optimize power usage, contributing significantly to extending battery life and reducing energy waste in Linux environments. Active development and maintenance ensure compatibility with evolving kernel and hardware landscapes.

top(1), vmstat(8), perf(1)