Scheduled Maintenance: We are aware of an issue with Google, AOL, and Yahoo services as email providers which are blocking new registrations. We are trying to fix the issue and we have several internal and external support tickets in process to resolve the issue. Please see: viewtopic.php?t=158230

 

 

 

Is Linux destroying my laptop battery??

Off-Topic discussions about science, technology, and non Debian specific topics.
Post Reply
Message
Author
neminem85
Posts: 1
Joined: 2018-04-08 04:37

Is Linux destroying my laptop battery??

#1 Post by neminem85 »

Hello guys!
Got a question for you today. I'll try to be as detailed as possible.

So i recently got this mid 2012 Macbook Pro - Intel i5 3210m - GPU Intel HD 4000 - 8GB RAM - 2x256GB SSD.

I installed Kali on one of the 2 ssd drives.
As usual, loving it so far (i always install Kali on the hard drive and then tweak it for everyday use with a user account, as it's just faster than any other debian based distro i tried so far)

I'd like to point out that when i got the Macbook Pro, i checked the battery cycles count and it was 132. Not bad at all. That should mean a fairly new battery.

After i started using Kali i noticed that i was having overheating issues so i installed TLP and Thermald to keep them at bay, with fairly good results. The overheat was reduced by a good margin.
The Battery life has never been as good as OSX, but i am not surprised, that's a common Linux issue.
Anyway, moving on, i used Kali on this machine for the past month or so , most of the time attached to power. I've probably used it on battery for no more than 10 times.
It's worth noting that when i started using Kali, i noticed that Gnome would show me 99% battery life even at full charge, but i thought, no big deal, it's just 1% must be a bug.
After a while tho i started noticing the top number was decreasing constantly. Yesterday, the "fully charged" number was 92%. So i started investigating.
I booted in OSX and checked the battery cycles and, ***, it now shows 432 cycles O.O

I also noticed that in OSX now the battery drains faster than before. So i started searching info on the web and noticed that other people, from other linux distros complained about this issue. There is one in particular that complains about ubuntu on his laptop, destroying 2 batteries in a period of just 4 months total .

So, what do you guys think? You think is possible that Kali is "destroying" my Macbook Pro Battery?

What is your opinion?

Thanks in advance!

Dai_trying
Posts: 1100
Joined: 2016-01-07 12:25
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 16 times

Re: Is Linux destroying my laptop battery??

#2 Post by Dai_trying »

I wonder what other Kali Linux Forum users would think? I guess they would be better placed to know...

User avatar
bw123
Posts: 4015
Joined: 2011-05-09 06:02
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 28 times

Re: Is Linux destroying my laptop battery??

#3 Post by bw123 »

It's a topic that comes up on the forum every now and then. There are different opinions about the best way to use and maintain laptop/notebook batteries. Not just on linux, also on the different native os the machine is designed for...

https://duckduckgo.com/html/?q=osx+battery+cycle+count

I think the main killers are cycles, age, and inactivity. I don't see how any os could kill a battery, but many people insist it's possible. My own experience is that numbers aren't always accurate, and a battery can have a dead cell that throws them all off. Especially a battery that is old, or not stored correctly when out of use.

I've been following the method described here for several years, including removing the battery when not used, and storing it at 40% in a cool place.
http://www.runpcrun.com/laptop-battery- ... guidelines
resigned by AI ChatGPT

Wheelerof4te
Posts: 1454
Joined: 2015-08-30 20:14

Re: Is Linux destroying my laptop battery??

#4 Post by Wheelerof4te »

Battery life and support is handled in the Linux kernel. Current Debian Stable has linux 4.9 LTS, which has some power optimization when compared with earlier kernel versions. I had no problems whatsoever on Stretch's kernel on my Broadwell-based notebook (beside the flickering screen on 9.3). Otherwise, my CPU has remained cool and battery on average lasted for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. That is a bit less than on Windows 10 (1h 40m).

Of course, this is a weakened battery which needs replacement.
With all that said, you should really just install Debian Stable. Kali offers nothing in return for a general-purpose OS.

steve_v
df -h | grep > 20TiB
df -h | grep > 20TiB
Posts: 1400
Joined: 2012-10-06 05:31
Location: /dev/chair
Has thanked: 79 times
Been thanked: 175 times

Re: Is Linux destroying my laptop battery??

#5 Post by steve_v »

neminem85 wrote:i always install Kali on the hard drive and then tweak it for everyday use with a user account
Oh dear, another one. :roll:
That's not what Kali is for, and this is not the Kali forum.
Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action. Four times is Official GNOME Policy.

User avatar
stevepusser
Posts: 12930
Joined: 2009-10-06 05:53
Has thanked: 41 times
Been thanked: 71 times

Re: Is Linux destroying my laptop battery??

#6 Post by stevepusser »

Kali != Debian. Install Debian and show the same behavior, and people here might be able to provide suggestions. You can also install the same tools in Debian as in Kali, or so I'm told.

I also help with Debian-based MX Linux, which many reviewers have praised for its speed and power consumption.

I doubt the Kali forum mods will allow the question there, since the OP is not using Kali as intended.
MX Linux packager and developer

jibberjabber
Posts: 162
Joined: 2016-01-10 16:58

Re: Is Linux destroying my laptop battery??

#7 Post by jibberjabber »

So, what do you guys think? You think is possible that Kali is "destroying" my Macbook Pro Battery?
Yes it is possible, also it is possible watching Mr.Robot is causing brain damage.
If I had a MacBookPro, I would keep it with OSX, the OS it was built and designed for, and if I felt I needed to use "kali linux", I would install it to a usb device, and use it for the purposes it is designed for.
If I had a MacBook pro, I wouldn't even install Debian to it, but that would be another topic., and I don't have a MacBook pro any way :(
OSX is a nice system, except that it is closed source, a good alternative , if you really want Unix , and Unix like, would be a BSD, preferably OpenBsd.
With OpenBsd, I don't have any use or need for "kali linux", but the same,
if I felt I did need it, I would put it on a usb device, like it is intended.
With Minix3, I can do anything and more that one would do with "kali linux", maybe the OP should try installing Minix 3.4 to their MacBook Pro, ? It would be interesting to know how that works out.
written by HelpBot#8453
Alias jibberjabber
I am sorry, my english is not that good, and I sometimes have other problems,so my response might not be perfect.
N5RLX > "Jibber jabber ,all day and all night, jibber jabber jibber jabber"

Post Reply