PowerTop on Debian Stretch

Dwijesh Gajadur <[email protected]>
Newsgroups gmane.linux.debian.user,gmane.linux.debian.user.laptop
Message-ID <CAMb9PZnnqnOvbQaLMNB_NiweOZ49_UGs3rJ3tnd6cHxay+HaVQ@mail.gmail.com>
Hi everyone.
I have a Dell Inspiron 5559 laptop which has a 40WHr, 4-cell battery. On
Windows 7 I get a battery life of 6-7 hours. On Ubuntu I get a battery life
of 5 hours after using PowerTop.
However on Debian I get only 3 hours of battery life. I have done
calibration several times and for several hours but I get only 3 hours of
battery life.

When I do *powertop --calibrate *the following lines appears:

root@debian:/# powertop --auto-tune
Loaded 137 prior measurements
Cannot load from file /var/cache/powertop/saved_parameters.powertop
File will be loaded after taking minimum number of measurement(s) with
battery only
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
Devfreq not enabled
Cannot load from file /var/cache/powertop/saved_parameters.powertop
File will be loaded after taking minimum number of measurement(s) with
battery only
To show power estimates do 124 measurement(s) connected to battery only
  unknown op '{'
Leaving PowerTOP

root@debian:/# powertop --calibrate
Loaded 87 prior measurements
Cannot load from file /var/cache/powertop/saved_parameters.powertop
File will be loaded after taking minimum number of measurement(s) with
battery only
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
Devfreq not enabled
Cannot load from file /var/cache/powertoproot@debian:/# powertop --auto-tune
Loaded 137 prior measurements
Cannot load from file /var/cache/powertop/saved_parameters.powertop
File will be loaded after taking minimum number of measurement(s) with
battery only
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
Devfreq not enabled
Cannot load from file /var/cache/powertop/saved_parameters.powertop
File will be loaded after taking minimum number of measurement(s) with
battery only
To show power estimates do 124 measurement(s) connected to battery only
  unknown op '{'
Leaving PowerTOP

root@debian:/# powertop --calibrate
Loaded 87 prior measurements
Cannot load from file /var/cache/powertop/saved_parameters.powertop
File will be loaded after taking minimum number of measurement(s) with
battery only
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
Devfreq not enabled
Cannot load from file /var/cache/powertop/saved_parameters.powertop
File will be loaded after taking minimum number of measurement(s) with
battery only
Starting PowerTOP power estimate calibration
Calibrating idle
System is not available
  unknown op '{'
To show power estimates do 174 measurement(s) connected to battery only
System is not available
Calibrating: disk usage
Calibrating backlight
.... device /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness
Calibrating idle
System is not available
System is not available
Calibrating: CPU usage on 1 threads
Calibrating: CPU usage on 4 threads
Calibrating: CPU wakeup power consumption
Calibrating: CPU wakeup power consumption
Calibrating: CPU wakeup power consumption
Calibrating USB devices
.... device /sys/bus/usb/devices/1-5/power/control
.... device /sys/bus/usb/devices/1-6/power/control
.... device /sys/bus/usb/devices/1-8/power/control
.... device /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb1/power/control
.... device /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/power/control
Calibrating radio devices
.... device /sys/class/rfkill/rfkill0/soft
.... device /sys/class/rfkill/rfkill1/soft
.... device /sys/class/rfkill/rfkill0/soft
.... device /sys/class/rfkill/rfkill1/soft
Finishing PowerTOP power estimate calibration
Parameters after calibration:


Parameter state *Cannot load from file
/var/cache/powertop/saved_parameters.powertop *and
----------------------------------
Value        Name
 1.17        alsa-codec-power (14)
 1.02        backlight (4)
 2.08        backlight-boost-100 (8)
 0.75        backlight-boost-40 (6)
 0.00        backlight-boost-80 (7)
 1.97        backlight-power (5)
 9.66        base power (83)
 5.81        cpu-consumption (3)
24.29        cpu-wakeups (2)
 0.00        disk-operations (85)
 0.00        disk-operations-hard (84)
 0.00        enp3s0-link*Cannot load from file
/var/cache/powertop/saved_parameters.powertop *and -100 (20)
 0.00        enp3s0-link-1000 (21)
 0.00        enp3s0-link-high (22)
 0.00        enp3s0-packets (23)
 0.00        enp3s0-powerunsave (19)
 5.58        enp3s0-up (18)
17.40        gpu-operations (17)
 0.00        radio:hci0 (16)
 0.00        radio:phy0 (15)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:00.0 (30)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:02.0 (31)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:14.0 (32)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:14.2 (33)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:15.0 (34)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:15.1 (35)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:16.0 (36)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:17.0 (37)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:1c.0 (38)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:1c.4 (39)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:1c.5 (40)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:1f.0 (41)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:1f.2 (42)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:1f.3 (43)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:1f.4 (44)
 0.00        runtime-0000:01:00.0 (45)
 0.00        runtime-0000:02:00.0 (46)
 0.00        runtime-0000:03:00.0 (47)
 0.00        runtime-ACPI0003:00 (77)
 0.00        runtime-ACPI000C:00 (78)
 0.00        runtime-DELLABCE:00 (72)
 0.00        runtime-INT0800:00 (68)
 0.00        runtime-INT33A1:00 (49)
 0.00        runtime-INT344B:00 (48)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0103:00 (76)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C09:00 (51)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0A:00 (53)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0B:00 (54)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0B:01 (55)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0B:02 (56)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0B:03 (57)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0B:04 (58)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0C:00 (59)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0D:00 (60)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0E:00 (61)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C14:00 (52)
 0.00        runtime-alarmtimer (63)
 0.00        runtime-coretemp.0 (75)
 0.00        runtime-dcdbas (64)
 0.00        runtime-dell-laptop (69)
 0.00        runtime-e820_pmem (71)
 0.00        runtime-i2c-0 (79)
 0.00        runtime-i2c-1 (80)
 0.00        runtime-i2c-2 (81)
 0.00        runtime-i2c-3 (82)
 0.00        runtime-i8042 (50)
 0.00        runtime-microcode (74)
 0.00        runtime-pcspkr (66)
 0.00        runtime-platform-framebuffer.0 (70)
 0.00        runtime-regulatory.0 (73)
 0.00        runtime-rtsx_usb_ms.1.auto (62)
 0.00        runtime-rtsx_usb_sdmmc.0.auto (65)
 0.00        runtime-serial8250 (67)
 3.00        usb-device-0bda-0129 (10)
 0.00        usb-device-0c45-6712 (9)
 0.00        usb-device-1d6b-0002 (12)
 0.00        usb-device-1d6b-0003 (13)
 0.00        usb-device-8087-07dc (11)
 0.00        wlp2s0-link-100 (26)
 0.00        wlp2s0-link-1000 (27)
 0.00        wlp2s0-link-high (28)
 0.00        wlp2s0-packets (29)
 0.00        wlp2s0-powerunsave (25)
 0.00        wlp2s0-up (24)
 0.00        xwakes (86)

Score:    1.9  (5079.7)
Guess:    9.7
Actual:  11.3
----------------------------------
Leaving PowerTOP/saved_parameters.powertop
File will be loaded after taking minimum number of measurement(s) with
battery only
Starting PowerTOP power estimate calibration
Calibrating idle
System is not available
  unknown op '{'
To show power estimates do 174 measurement(s) connected to battery only
System is not available
Calibrating: disk usage
Calibrating backlight
.... device /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness
Calibrating idle
System is not available
System is not available
Calibrating: CPU usage on 1 threads
Calibrating: CPU usage on 4 threads
Calibrating: CPU wakeup power consumption
Calibrating: CPU wakeup power consumption
Calibrating: CPU wakeup power consumption
Calibrating USB devices
.... device /sys/bus/usb/devices/1-5/power/control
.... device /sys/bus/usb/devices/1-6/power/control
.... device /sys/bus/usb/devices/1-8/power/control
.... device /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb1/power/control
.... device /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/power/control
Calibrating radio devices
.... device /sys/class/rfkill/rfkill0/soft
.... device /sys/class/rfkill/rfkill1/soft
.... device /sys/class/rfkill/rfkill0/soft
.... device /sys/class/rfkill/rfkill1/soft
Finishing PowerTOP power estimate calibration
Parameters after calibration:


Parameter state *Cannot load from file
/var/cache/powertop/saved_parameters.powertop *and
----------------------------------
Value        Name
 1.17        alsa-codec-power (14)
 1.02        backlight (4)
 2.08        backlight-boost-100 (8)
 0.75        backlight-boost-40 (6)
 0.00        backlight-boost-80 (7)
 1.97        backlight-power (5)
 9.66        base power (83)
 5.81        cpu-consumption (3)
24.29        cpu-wakeups (2)
 0.00        disk-operations (85)
 0.00        disk-operations-hard (84)
 0.00        enp3s0-link*Cannot load from file
/var/cache/powertop/saved_parameters.powertop *and -100 (20)
 0.00        enp3s0-link-1000 (21)
 0.00        enp3s0-link-high (22)
 0.00        enp3s0-packets (23)
 0.00        enp3s0-powerunsave (19)
 5.58        enp3s0-up (18)
17.40        gpu-operations (17)
 0.00        radio:hci0 (16)
 0.00        radio:phy0 (15)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:00.0 (30)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:02.0 (31)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:14.0 (32)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:14.2 (33)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:15.0 (34)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:15.1 (35)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:16.0 (36)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:17.0 (37)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:1c.0 (38)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:1c.4 (39)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:1c.5 (40)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:1f.0 (41)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:1f.2 (42)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:1f.3 (43)
 0.00        runtime-0000:00:1f.4 (44)
 0.00        runtime-0000:01:00.0 (45)
 0.00        runtime-0000:02:00.0 (46)
 0.00        runtime-0000:03:00.0 (47)
 0.00        runtime-ACPI0003:00 (77)
 0.00        runtime-ACPI000C:00 (78)
 0.00        runtime-DELLABCE:00 (72)
 0.00        runtime-INT0800:00 (68)
 0.00        runtime-INT33A1:00 (49)
 0.00        runtime-INT344B:00 (48)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0103:00 (76)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C09:00 (51)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0A:00 (53)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0B:00 (54)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0B:01 (55)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0B:02 (56)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0B:03 (57)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0B:04 (58)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0C:00 (59)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0D:00 (60)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C0E:00 (61)
 0.00        runtime-PNP0C14:00 (52)
 0.00        runtime-alarmtimer (63)
 0.00        runtime-coretemp.0 (75)
 0.00        runtime-dcdbas (64)
 0.00        runtime-dell-laptop (69)
 0.00        runtime-e820_pmem (71)
 0.00        runtime-i2c-0 (79)
 0.00        runtime-i2c-1 (80)
 0.00        runtime-i2c-2 (81)
 0.00        runtime-i2c-3 (82)
 0.00        runtime-i8042 (50)
 0.00        runtime-microcode (74)
 0.00        runtime-pcspkr (66)
 0.00        runtime-platform-framebuffer.0 (70)
 0.00        runtime-regulatory.0 (73)
 0.00        runtime-rtsx_usb_ms.1.auto (62)
 0.00        runtime-rtsx_usb_sdmmc.0.auto (65)
 0.00        runtime-serial8250 (67)
 3.00        usb-device-0bda-0129 (10)
 0.00        usb-device-0c45-6712 (9)
 0.00        usb-device-1d6b-0002 (12)
 0.00        usb-device-1d6b-0003 (13)
 0.00        usb-device-8087-07dc (11)
 0.00        wlp2s0-link-100 (26)
 0.00        wlp2s0-link-1000 (27)
 0.00        wlp2s0-link-high (28)
 0.00        wlp2s0-packets (29)
 0.00        wlp2s0-powerunsave (25)
 0.00        wlp2s0-up (24)
 0.00        xwakes (86)

Score:    1.9  (5079.7)
Guess:    9.7
Actual:  11.3
----------------------------------
Leaving PowerTOP



After calibration, I do *powertop --auto-tune *and I get:

root@debian:/# powertop --auto-tune
Loaded 137 prior measurements
Cannot load from file /var/cache/powertop/saved_parameters.powertop
File will be loaded after taking minimum number of measurement(s) with
battery only
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
RAPL device for cpu 0
RAPL Using PowerCap Sysfs : Domain Mask f
Devfreq not enabled
Cannot load from file /var/cache/powertop/saved_parameters.powertop
File will be loaded after taking minimum number of measurement(s) with
battery only
To show power estimates do 124 measurement(s) connected to battery only
  unknown op '{'
Leaving PowerTOP



My Question is, is it normal to get the lines:

   - *Cannot load from file /var/cache/powertop/saved_parameters.powertop*


   - *Devfreq not enabled*

Is it because of these lines that PowerTop is unable to extend the battery
life?
Debian Stretch is currently using PowerTop version 2.8 and I heard
somewhere on a forum that there is a bug in the 2.8 version. Is it true
that there is a bug ? And is it that bug which is causing the problem?

I thank you in advance for reading this long email 😜    But I really need
help.

With Kind Regards,

Dwijesh
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