[SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

fox · 2016-05-14 22:14:08

I highly recommend that those of you running BL on a laptop install TLP if you want to get better battery life. It's in the Debian Sid repository, but you can also get it here. TLP is configurable, but even in its default setting it looks to add 10-15% battery life relative to not having it installed. While it isn't difficult to install by adding the source, I wonder if the BL developers would consider adding it to the default installation, or as a clickable script option?

Last edited by fox (2016-05-16 10:51:22)

ghorvath · 2016-05-15 08:34:23

I believe there is a thread about this somewhere in these forums.

I would be against TLP for jessie, because it is not in the stable repos. For stretch/Bl Helium it could be an option.

I run BL on two laptops, use laptop-mode-tools on both of them, which increased battery life tremendously. Of course, it helped more after I fine-tuned it a little. Anyway, probably any (but only one!) of these laptop tools is advisable to be installed on any laptop.

fox · 2016-05-15 11:05:14

ghorvath, I agree with you in not making TLP part of base install; an option was what I had in mind. I would also be interested in how you fine-tuned laptop-mode-tools. I'm guessing that there are a few forum members interested in increasing battery life, and it would be good to get more suggestions posted on this topic.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-05-15 11:07:03

I have created a custom BunsenLabs repository for TLP:

https://software.opensuse.org/download. … ackage=tlp

To use it, first run this command:

sudo apt edit-sources

Then add this repository line to the file:

deb http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/Head_on_a_Stick:/BunsenLabs/Debian_8.0/ /

Finally, update the package database and install TLP:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install tlp

To keep the package updated, add the APT repository key:

wget http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:Head_on_a_Stick:BunsenLabs/Debian_8.0/Release.key
apt-key add - < Release.key

EDIT: Can somebody try this for me please?

I built the packages in a container so I can't test them

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2016-05-15 11:09:26)

fox · 2016-05-15 11:47:01

I will be happy to test this! Given that I already have TLP installed, do I either have to uninstall it first, or change the install command above to something else? (Sorry, I'm not a very sophisticated Linux user.)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-05-15 11:59:20

fox wrote:

I already have TLP installed

If it was installed with the method described in your link then uninstall the package (using `apt-get` or synaptic) then remove the "repo.linrunner.de" line in /etc/apt/sources.list and add in my repository line and then `apt update` && `apt install tlp`

ghorvath · 2016-05-15 12:12:16

fox wrote:

ghorvath, I agree with you in not making TLP part of base install; an option was what I had in mind. I would also be interested in how you fine-tuned laptop-mode-tools. I'm guessing that there are a few forum members interested in increasing battery life, and it would be good to get more suggestions posted on this topic.

Ok, at some point I will open a thread and write my modifications.

fox · 2016-05-15 12:32:25

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

I have created a custom BunsenLabs repository for TLP:
...
EDIT: Can somebody try this for me please?
I built the packages in a container so I can't test them

OK, I have it installed now and it seems to be working. Hard to say for sure, but according to message from the battery icon, it looks to be an improvement over the default settings. I assume that the way to view the settings is through

tlp stat

. When I tried this, I found out that my bluetooth is on, and I don't need it running. I used

rfkill block bluetooth

to turn it off, but is there a GUI setting in BL that will allow me to turn it off/on?

ghorvath · 2016-05-15 14:23:12

@fox For my laptop-mode-tools settings, see https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic … 278#p27278

damo · 2016-05-15 16:48:35

fox wrote:

... but is there a GUI setting in BL that will allow me to turn it off/on?

No, but you can use systemd

sudo systemctl disable bluetooth.service

fox · 2016-05-15 22:10:11

Thanks for these, ghorvath & damo. Damo, does the systemd disable command have to be re-entered every time I boot up?

damo · 2016-05-15 23:20:02

fox wrote:

Thanks for these, ghorvath & damo. Damo, does the systemd disable command have to be re-entered every time I boot up?

Well, if you search for systemd tuts, or do `man systemd`, then you will get your answer

Unless there is a systemd setting to specifically 'enable' during startup, then 'disable' should do the job. (@HoaS is the guru around here for this stuff though)

disable NAME...
           Disables one or more units. This removes all symlinks to the
           specified unit files from the unit configuration directory, and hence
           undoes the changes made by enable....

mask NAME...
           Mask one or more unit files, as specified on the command line. This
           will link these units to /dev/null, making it impossible to start
           them. This is a stronger version of disable, since it prohibits all
           kinds of activation of the unit, including manual activation.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-05-16 06:30:22

fox wrote:

does the systemd disable command have to be re-entered every time I boot up?

No, "disable" persists across reboots

Be sure to read the man page of any command you don't know and make yourself familiar with all the options and what they do:
https://manpages.debian.org/cgi-bin/man … &locale=en

Check which systemd units are enabled (ie, they will start at boot) with this command:

systemctl list-unit-files|grep enabled

Eraph · 2016-05-16 07:34:36

Thanks for putting this in a repo, HoaS, I've successfully installed it and it seems to be doing its thing pretty well.

#1 2016-05-14 22:14:08

[SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

#2 2016-05-15 08:34:23

Re: [SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

#3 2016-05-15 11:05:14

Re: [SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

#4 2016-05-15 11:07:03

Re: [SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

#5 2016-05-15 11:47:01

Re: [SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

#6 2016-05-15 11:59:20

Re: [SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

#7 2016-05-15 12:12:16

Re: [SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

#8 2016-05-15 12:32:25

Re: [SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

#9 2016-05-15 14:23:12

Re: [SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

#10 2016-05-15 16:48:35

Re: [SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

#11 2016-05-15 22:10:11

Re: [SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

#12 2016-05-15 23:20:02

Re: [SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

#13 2016-05-16 06:30:22

Re: [SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

#14 2016-05-16 07:34:36

Re: [SOLVED] TLP for better battery life

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