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
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
-
More than 43 Million Lines of Code in Linux Kernel 7.2
Using the cloc utility, Michael Larabel of Phoronix discovered that Linux kernel 7.2 has over 43 million lines of code.
-
Kubuntu Focus Goes Ultra
The Kubuntu Focus team has upped the performance ante of its M2 and Zr laptops with the latest, greatest CPUs from Intel.
-
Linux Gamers May Soon See Less Mouse Lag in KDE Plasma
Gamers using KDE’s Plasma desktop have been suffering from a slight input delay in mouse movement that could lead to getting fragged.
-
Three Lines of Code Improve Linux Storage Performance
A developer changed three lines of code, giving Linux storage performance a 5% bump.
-
AUR Hit Again with Malicious Packages
Once again the Arch User Repository is plagued by a high volume of malicious packages.
-
Alpine Linux 3.24 Features Fresh Desktops and a Newer Kernel
If you're a fan of Alpine Linux, it's time to upgrade because the latest version has been released with KDE Plasma 6.6, Gnome 50, and Linux kernel 6.18 LTS.
-
EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
Comprehensive measures adopted by the European Commission aim to reduce dependency on non-EU countries.
-
Linux Foundation Report Indicates AI Driving Tech Hiring
Within growing security and skills gaps, AI has been found to be a positive driving force behind tech hiring trends in Europe.
-
United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
A new open source portal seeks to coordinate and scale open source efforts across the United Nations system.
-
KDE Linux Drops AUR
KDE Linux developers have dropped the Arch User Repository from the build pipeline due to security concerns; other distributions should consider doing the same.