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tlpctl(1) Power Management tlpctl(1)

NAME

tlpctl - control TLP power profiles

SYNOPSIS

tlpctl [-h] command [options] [args]

DESCRIPTION

tlpctl is a command-line utility to control TLP power profiles. It allows users to switch between power profiles, list available profiles and launch applications with specific power profiles. It offers a subset of powerprofilesctl's commands supplemented by TLP-specific shortcuts.

tlpctl communicates with the TLP Profiles Daemon (tlp-pd) which implements the org.freedesktop.UPower.PowerProfiles D-Bus interface similar to power-profiles-daemon.

COMMANDS

Profile Shortcuts

Switch to performance profile (shortcut for tlpctl set performance).
Switch to balanced profile (shortcut for tlpctl set balanced).
Switch to power-saver profile (shortcut for tlpctl set power-saver).

Profile Management

List available power profiles. The active profile is marked with an asterisk (*).
Print the currently active power profile.
Set the active power profile. Valid profiles are: performance, balanced and power-saver. This will release all active profile holds.
Run a command and request a specific power profile for it ("profile hold").
Profile to hold while running the command (default: performance).
Reason for the profile hold (default: second and remaining words of the command).
Application identifier for the hold (default: first word of command).
  • The holding command exits
  • The user manually changes the profile (with tlpctl set)
  • The application explicitly releases the hold
List current power profile holds (from launch command), showing the profile name, application ID, and reason for each hold.

Diagnostics and Debugging

Set the loglevel of the TLP Profiles Daemon (tlp-pd). Valid levels are: info and debug.

Information

Display version information for both the tlpctl client and the TLP Profiles Daemon.

OPTIONS

Show a help message and exit. Can be used with any command to show command-specific help.

AUTHORIZATION

An active, unlocked session is required to perform actions. Changing the loglevel requires root privilege.

POWER PROFILES

Optimizes the system for maximum performance at the cost of higher power consumption. Recommended for demanding workloads. TLP default when running on AC power.
Provides a balance between performance and power consumption. Suitable for general-purpose use. TLP default when running on battery power.
Optimizes the system for maximum battery life at the cost of reduced performance. Recommended for maximizing battery runtime.

EXAMPLES

$ tlpctl list
    
$ tlpctl power-saver
    
$ tlpctl get
    
$ tlpctl launch --profile performance --reason "Gaming" steam
    
$ tlpctl launch make -j8
    
$ tlpctl list-holds

EXIT STATUS

0
Success
1
General error (Invalid arguments, tlp-pd refuses the operation, D-Bus communication failure)
When using launch, the exit status of the launched command is returned.

SEE ALSO

tlp(8), tlp-stat(8), tlp-pd(8).

TLP documentation: <https://linrunner.de/tlp>

BUGS

Report bugs to: <https://github.com/linrunner/TLP/issues>

AUTHOR

Copyright © 2025 Thomas Koch <linrunner at gmx.net> and contributors.

2025-12-01 TLP 1.9.0