Tools for checking ACPI battery data
Fully Charged
Linux offers some useful command-line tools that leverage the ACPI power management framework to display detailed data on the status of a laptop battery.
The quality of life for any laptop owner depends on the battery maintaining enough charge to operate off the power grid. Eventually, however, you will see a message informing you that the charge has reached a minimum threshold, and you have to save your data quickly or else switch to mains mode to continue working while the battery charges in the background.
The data for the warning message come from the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) [1] [2]. ACPI, which first appeared in 1996, has now replaced its predecessor, Advanced Power Management (APM); the current version 6 dates from April 2015. (For more information on APM and ACPI check out TuxMobil [3] and the ACPI how-to [4].)
ACPI used to be a separate component in Linux, but the Linux kernel developers now maintain ACPI functionality within the framework of the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) [5]. Linux comes with some command-line tools that let you read information on battery status and health. For Debian and its derivatives, you'll need the acpi, acpid, and acpi-support-base packages.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
KDE Unleashes Plasma 6.5
The Plasma 6.5 desktop environment is now available with new features, improvements, and the usual bug fixes.
-
Xubuntu Site Possibly Hacked
It appears that the Xubuntu site was hacked and briefly served up a malicious ZIP file from its download page.
-
LMDE 7 Now Available
Linux Mint Debian Edition, version 7, has been officially released and is based on upstream Debian.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Reaches EOL
Linux kernel 6.16 has reached its end of life, which means you'll need to upgrade to the next stable release, Linux kernel 6.17.
-
Amazon Ditches Android for a Linux-Based OS
Amazon has migrated from Android to the Linux-based Vega OS for its Fire TV.
-
Cairo Dock 3.6 Now Available for More Compositors
If you're a fan of third-party desktop docks, then the latest release of Cairo Dock with Wayland support is for you.
-
System76 Unleashes Pop!_OS 24.04 Beta
System76's first beta of Pop!_OS 24.04 is an impressive feat.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.