Change the kernel governor to favor battery life or raw speed, right from the shell. 08.01.2026 | reading time: 2 min Want more battery life or peak performance? This short guide shows how to list available governors, switch the active governor at runtime and verify the change so that the system behaves the way you expect. Quick hands-on example Do this now: check the current governor with `cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor`, list available governors with `cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_available_governors`, then set all CPUs to performance with `echo performance | sudo tee /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/scaling_governor` and confirm by running `cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor` again; you should see `performance` as output. When the kernel limits choices If you see only `performance` and `powersave` or if writes to sysfs are ignored, the `intel_pstate` driver may be active; switch to the generic driver or use `cpupower` if available, and prefer `schedutil` on modern kernels because it coordinates with the scheduler for smoother power-performance tradeoffs. Persistence and automation Make changes survive reboot by using a distribution service like `cpupower.service`, a `/etc/default/cpufrequtils` config, a systemd tmpfiles entry, or a small script invoked at boot; for laptops consider `tlp` or `tuned` profiles that adjust governors together with other power settings. Tools that help you tune Beyond writing to sysfs, use `cpupower` to query and set governors per CPU, `powertop` to find power hogs and suggestions, and `tuned` or `tlp` to apply curated power profiles across hardware and use cases. A clear next step Switching the governor is a small lever with big effect: try different governors under a reproducible workload, measure and iterate; learn more about kernel power management and consider formalizing skills with CompTIA Linux+ or LPIC-1 exam prep at bitsandbytes.academy for deeper, exam-focused practice. Join Bits & Bytes Academy First class LINUX exam preparation. utilities processes troubleshooting
