PowerTop 2.0

PowerTop project detects which Linux programs and kernel tunables are resulting in the largest power consumption and use of battery time.

Power usage is a hot topic for computer users everywhere. For some, it's a matter of how long a laptop lasts without being plugged in. For others, it's controlling the temperature of hundreds of systems within a datacenter. For all of us, it's about keeping the electricity bill under control and being kind to the environment.

Getting your computer to use the least amount of power can be problematic. This site provides information on reducing power usage, tips, and tricks for Intel-based computers running Linux*.

As a first step, Intel is releasing PowerTOP, a tool that helps you find what software is using the most power. By fixing (or closing) these applications or processes, you can immediately see the power savings in the tool. You'll also see the estimated time left for battery power if you are running a laptop. The Tips&Tricks page has fixes for a lot of the issues that are already found. Join our mailing list to participate in this effort to get Linux to use less power.

Building:

Just type make and then run the program...

tar -zxf powertop-1.1.tar.gz
cd powertop
make
./powertop


Product's homepage

What's New in This Release: [ read full changelog ]

· The 2.0 codebase extensively uses the kernel "perf" infrastructure to give much more accurate data for the various reports.
· Another major feature of the 2.0 code base is that the power behavior of the various devices in the system is prominently tracked and displayed, so that it's clear which devices are problematic in terms of power behavior.
· A new power estimation engine is able to give an estimate of how much power individual devices and processes in the system are consuming.
· This release requires a relatively new kernel to work properly (2.6.37, but 2.6.36 will also work).