Showing posts with label laptops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label laptops. Show all posts
Sunday, October 25, 2015
TLP 0.5 Released, Install It In Ubuntu [Tool That Helps Save Battery Power]
TLP, a tool that applies various settings and tweaks that help your laptop save battery power, was updated to version 0.5 which includes better support for some ThinkPad models as well as some new features and bug fixes.
Changes in the latest TLP 0.5:
- tpacpi-bat: auto detection of all ThinkPad models (v2.1);
- tlp-stat: include newer models in tpacpi-bat suggestions;
- tlp-rdw: support newer docks;
- Handle special case where BAT1 = main battery (Thinkpad Edge/L/S series);
- Fix: sound power save depending on power source ac/bat;
- Fix: don't touch devices in RUNTIME_PM_BLACKLIST or excluded by RUNTIME_PM_ALL=0;
- Fix: do not write sata link power when not configured;
- Fix RESTORE_DEVICE_STATE_ON_STARTUP;
- Restore bay power state upon resume only when on bat power and the setting is active;
- Use nmcli before rfkill to change radio state; re-enable wifi on shutdown when not explicitly configured (Ubuntu 14.04).
Install TLP in Ubuntu / Linux Mint
Before installing TLP, make sure "laptop-mode-tools" is not installed (it conflicts with TLP):
sudo apt-get remove laptop-mode-toolsUbuntu / Linux Mint users can install TLP by using its official PPA. Add the PPA and install it by using the following commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:linrunner/tlp
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install tlp tlp-rdwTLP will start automatically on startup but to avoid having to restart the system, the first time you can start it manually, by using the following command:
sudo tlp startThere are also some optional packages you can install - for more on that as well as more information about TLP, see: Improve Power Usage / Battery Life In Linux With TLP.
For how to install TLP in Fedora, Debian, Arch Linux or Gentoo, see the TLP installation page.
To check out the source code, report bugs, etc., see the TLP GitHub page.
image via
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
More Work To Support Nvidia Optimus Lands In Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr
More work to properly support Nvidia Optimus landed in Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr.
1. nvidia-prime 0.5 has been released today with a new feature that allows users to switch between the integrated and discrete GPU ("prime-select" command line tool). Other changes include:
- improved hardware detection - make sure the the laptop uses Nvidia Optimus and Nvidia driver >= 319;
- more robust system to deal with xorg.conf: broken xorg.conf files will be automatically restored to a configuration that works with hybrid graphics;
- make sure that NVIDIA is always enabled on shutdown - this will avoid issues with the BIOS;
- more.
nvidia-prime is a package that comes with a set of tools to enable Nvidia's Prime on MUXless systems.
Currently, nvidia-prime 0.5 is available in the Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr proposed repository and it will take a while before it's promoted to the main repositories.
2. Thanks to the latest nvidia-prime, we can also see a change in Nvidia Settings that landed about two weeks ago in Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr: an additional tab was added, allowing users to switch between GPUs:
This tab is only visible if nvidia-prime >= 0.5 is installed. After changing between the Nvidia and Intel GPUs, you'll need to log out or restart the system to apply the changes.
3. And finally, xorg-server was updated (version 1.14.4.901) with various Nvidia Optimus fixes, including a patch to fix GPU screen output hotplugging. Like the latest nvidia-prime, this update is only available in the Ubuntu Trusty proposed repository for now.
In my test under Ubuntu 14.04 LTS with these updates installed, I noticed some important improvements: there's no more screen / GTK theme corruption, my external monitor works out of the box (connected via a mini DisplayPort port that's hard-wired to the Intel graphics adapter; connecting a monitor via HDMI which is hard-wired to the Nvidia card doesn't work) and the temperature seems lower than in my previous experience with this under Ubuntu 13.10, although it's still a bit too hot for everyday use, at least with my laptop.
More Nvidia Optimus fixes will probably follow since Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr is in its early development stages and there are about four months until it's released.
More Nvidia Optimus fixes will probably follow since Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr is in its early development stages and there are about four months until it's released.
If you want to try this out in Ubuntu 14.04, firstly enable the proposed repository (not recommended!) and then simply follow the instructions from HERE.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)