auto-cpufreq 3.0: Better CPU control for longer battery life on Linux

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auto-cpufreq 3.0.0 is here: The open-source tool automatically optimizes the CPU speed and power consumption of Linux notebooks by adjusting governors, frequencies, and other parameters based on battery status, CPU load, and temperature. The current version offers manual control over CPU turbo settings for the first time and improves support for systems with multiple batteries.

The most important new feature allows users to manually override CPU turbo settings via both the command line and the graphical interface. This allows turbo boost to be activated or deactivated independently of the automatic settings. Additionally, users can now specify a specific battery device in the configuration file, which increases reliability on systems with multiple batteries or unusual paths.

Extensive bug fixes for CPU scaling

Version 3.0.0 fixes several issues with CPU frequency scaling. For example, the correct cpuinfo and scaling values for minimum and maximum frequencies are now used. Furthermore, the software now uses scaling_max_freq for the maximum CPU clock frequency, enabling more precise control. The monitor output for "CPU frequency scaling" has been corrected, providing users with more meaningful information.

Asus notebooks benefit from improved support for battery charge level limits. The software can now set charging limits – for example, to 80 percent – which extends the battery's lifespan. For this purpose, specific functions for Asus devices have been added, and fallback paths have been implemented that also work with deviating system configurations.

Wayland compatibility and NixOS integration

The auto-cpufreq-gtk graphical interface has been improved for Wayland users. A bug that led to an incorrect window icon under the Wayland compositing protocol has been fixed. Additionally, error handling for pkexec, which is required for root access, has been improved. NixOS users receive a new configuration example and fixes for problems with Nix flakes and missing awk commands.

Under the hood, dependencies have been updated: urllib3 was upgraded from version 2.6.0 to 2.6.3, and the software migrated to urwid v3 with Poetry. The urllib3 update closes security vulnerabilities in HTTP requests.

Installation and alternatives

auto-cpufreq can be installed on Ubuntu and other distributions via Snap: sudo snap install auto-cpufreq. Alternatively, an installer script is available on GitHub. Important: The tool conflicts with GNOME's power-profiles-daemon, which must be masked before use. Unlike TLP, which offers comprehensive power management for USB, hard drives, and WLAN, auto-cpufreq focuses exclusively on CPU governors, frequencies, and turbo boost.

The software works with standard kernel interfaces such as cpufreq and does not require kernel modifications. It offers three modes: --monitor for monitoring, --live for temporary use, and a daemon mode for persistent integration via systemd. User reports indicate 20 to 30 percent longer battery life, with actual results depending on hardware and usage scenarios. Under high load, the tool automatically switches to the performance governor, so no performance losses are expected during gaming or computationally intensive tasks.

(fo)