Gnome Battery Charge Monitor not giving estimated time remaining

Bug #38795 reported by Adam Blackburn
18
This bug affects 1 person
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
GNOME Applets
New
Unknown
gnome-applets (Ubuntu)
Triaged
Low
Ubuntu Desktop Bugs
linux-source-2.6.15 (Ubuntu)
Invalid
Medium
Unassigned

Bug Description

The Gnome Battery Charge Monitor is not giving the time remaining. It gives the percent remaining accurately, but always says unknown time remaining. The icon that shows up in the notification area (turned on under Power Management Preferences) shows the time remaining correctly, however. This is on a Compaq V2000.

Revision history for this message
Adam Blackburn (adamblackburn) wrote :

On Dapper Flight CD 6

Changed in gnome-applets:
assignee: nobody → dholbach
Revision history for this message
Daniel Holbach (dholbach) wrote :

Thanks for your bug report. Can you run attach the output of /proc/acpi/battery/BAT*/* here?

Changed in gnome-applets:
status: Unconfirmed → Needs Info
Revision history for this message
Adam Blackburn (adamblackburn) wrote :

/proc/acpi/battery/BAT1/alarm: Permission denied

That's what I got. I'm new to this...I may have done something wrong. Didn't sudo, copied /proc/acpi/battery/BAT*/* into my terminal. Same thing with sudo though.

Revision history for this message
Daniel Holbach (dholbach) wrote :

daniel@lovegood:~$ sudo cat /proc/acpi/battery/BAT*/*
Password:
alarm: 3096 mWh
present: yes
[...]
daniel@lovegood:~$

Revision history for this message
Adam Blackburn (adamblackburn) wrote :

Got it:

alarm: unsupported
present: yes
design capacity: 6000 mAh
last full capacity: 4288 mAh
battery technology: rechargeable
design voltage: 14800 mV
design capacity warning: 217 mAh
design capacity low: 131 mAh
capacity granularity 1: 10 mAh
capacity granularity 2: 25 mAh
model number: JM-6
serial number: 4873013206
battery type: LION
OEM info: Hewlett-Packard
present: yes
capacity state: ok
charging state: charged
present rate: unknown
remaining capacity: 4288 mAh
present voltage: unknown

Revision history for this message
Daniel Holbach (dholbach) wrote :

If you could run lshal > lshal.txt and attach lshal.txt here, that'd be great.

Revision history for this message
Adam Blackburn (adamblackburn) wrote :
Download full text (98.8 KiB)

Dumping 94 device(s) from the Global Device List:
-------------------------------------------------
udi = '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer'
  info.callouts.add = {'hal-system-storage-cleanup-mountpoints'} (string list)
  storage.policy.default.mount_option.exec = true (bool)
  org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.SystemPowerManagement.method_execpaths = {'hal-system-power-suspend', 'hal-system-power-hibernate', 'hal-system-power-shutdown', 'hal-system-power-reboot', 'hal-system-power-set-power-save'} (string list)
  org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.SystemPowerManagement.method_signatures = {'i', '', '', '', 'b'} (string list)
  org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.SystemPowerManagement.method_names = {'Suspend', 'Hibernate', 'Shutdown', 'Reboot', 'SetPowerSave'} (string list)
  info.interfaces = {'org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.SystemPowerManagement'} (string list)
  info.addons = {'hald-addon-acpi'} (string list)
  system.product = 'Presario V2000 (EP444UA#ABA) Rev 1' (string)
  system.vendor = 'Hewlett-Packard' (string)
  smbios.chassis.type = 'Notebook' (string)
  smbios.chassis.manufacturer = 'Quanta' (string)
  smbios.system.uuid = '003E893F-AA63-DA11-A77F-00163618C553' (string)
  smbios.system.serial = 'CNF60410X3' (string)
  smbios.system.version = 'Rev 1' (string)
  smbios.system.product = 'Presario V2000 (EP444UA#ABA)' (string)
  smbios.system.manufacturer = 'Hewlett-Packard' (string)
  smbios.bios.release_date = '01/02/2006' (string)
  smbios.bios.version = 'F.22' (string)
  smbios.bios.vendor = 'Hewlett-Packard' (string)
  power_management.can_suspend_to_disk = true (bool)
  power_management.can_suspend_to_ram = true (bool)
  power_management.acpi.linux.version = '20051216' (string)
  power_management.type = 'acpi' (string)
  system.formfactor = 'laptop' (string)
  system.kernel.machine = 'i686' (string)
  system.kernel.version = '2.6.15-20-386' (string)
  system.kernel.name = 'Linux' (string)
  info.udi = '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer' (string)
  info.product = 'Computer' (string)
  linux.sysfs_path_device = '(none)' (string)
  info.bus = 'unknown' (string)

udi = '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/acpi_SLPB'
  info.udi = '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/acpi_SLPB' (string)
  linux.hotplug_type = 4 (0x4) (int)
  button.has_state = false (bool)
  info.capabilities = {'button'} (string list)
  info.category = 'button' (string)
  info.product = 'Sleep Button' (string)
  button.type = 'sleep' (string)
  info.parent = '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer' (string)
  linux.acpi_type = 10 (0xa) (int)
  linux.acpi_path = '/proc/acpi/button/sleep/SLPB' (string)

udi = '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/acpi_PWRF'
  info.udi = '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/acpi_PWRF' (string)
  linux.hotplug_type = 4 (0x4) (int)
  button.has_state = false (bool)
  info.capabilities = {'button'} (string list)
  info.category = 'button' (string)
  info.product = 'Power Button' (string)
  button.type = 'power' (string)
  info.parent = '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer' (string)
  linux.acpi_type = 10 (0xa) (int)
  linux.acpi_path = '/proc/acpi/button/power/PWRF' (string)

ud...

Revision history for this message
Daniel Holbach (dholbach) wrote :

Thanks for the information - I followed up on an existing bug report at http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=336987

Changed in gnome-applets:
assignee: dholbach → desktop-bugs
status: Needs Info → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Daniel Holbach (dholbach) wrote :

Comment from the Upstream developer:
  battery.charge_level.rate = 0 (0x0) (int)
  battery.reporting.rate = 0 (0x0) (int)
  present rate: unknown

if we don't know the rate at which the battery is discharging then we can't
form an estimate about how much time is remaining.

do other operating systems know how long is left? is this an acpi
implementation bug? maybe this is a kernel bug.

Changed in gnome-applets:
status: Confirmed → Needs Info
Revision history for this message
Adam Blackburn (adamblackburn) wrote :

Like I said in the inital report, the icon that shows up in the notification area (turned on under Power Management Preferences) reports the estimated remaining time. Also, Windows XP reports the time. It is just this one applet that doesn't show the time. Even if there is a problem, shouldn't the applet calculate the amount that the battery went down over a period of time (say a minute) and it figure it out from there? It does report the percent remaining correctly. But my main point is that Ubuntu can correctly estimate the remaining time in the Power Management icon tooltip.

Revision history for this message
Daniel Holbach (dholbach) wrote :

I forwarded your comment.

Changed in linux-source:
assignee: nobody → kernel-bugs
Revision history for this message
Daniel Holbach (dholbach) wrote :

Doesn't look like a kernel issue.

Changed in gnome-applets:
status: Needs Info → Confirmed
Changed in linux-source-2.6.15:
status: Unconfirmed → Rejected
Revision history for this message
Torstein Eide (eiden) wrote :

The Gnome Battery Charge Monitor is not giving the time remaining. I'm running ubuntu 7.04 Feisty on a ACER Travelmate 661LCI. but the power icon i the notifcation area reports the remaining time.

Revision history for this message
pinguino (pcboard) wrote :
Download full text (103.6 KiB)

Hi,

I have the same problem. The laptop shutdown inmediatly without warning. I am using a Laptop:
Toshiba Satellite 2450-401
Detail information:
http://www.nethands.de/pys/show.php4?user=pinguino

**************************************************************
sudo cat /proc/acpi/battery/BAT*/*
***************************************************************

alarm: 1728 mWh
present: yes
design capacity: 90720 mWh
last full capacity: 85935 mWh
battery technology: rechargeable
design voltage: 10800 mV
design capacity warning: 1728 mWh
design capacity low: 0 mWh
capacity granularity 1: 10 mWh
capacity granularity 2: 10 mWh
model number: G71C00023210
serial number: 2200014410
battery type: Li-ION
OEM info:
present: yes
capacity state: ok
charging state: discharging
present rate: 31773 mW
remaining capacity: 39322 mWh
present voltage: 11280 mV

***********************************************************************
sudo lshal > lshal.txt
***********************************************************************

Dumping 97 device(s) from the Global Device List:
-------------------------------------------------
udi = '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer'
  info.addons = {'hald-addon-cpufreq', 'hald-addon-acpi'} (string list)
  info.callouts.add = {'hal-acl-tool --remove-all', 'hal-storage-cleanup-all-mountpoints'} (string list)
  info.callouts.session_active = {'hal-acl-tool --reconfigure'} (string list)
  info.callouts.session_add = {'hal-acl-tool --reconfigure'} (string list)
  info.callouts.session_inactive = {'hal-acl-tool --reconfigure'} (string list)
  info.callouts.session_remove = {'hal-acl-tool --reconfigure'} (string list)
  info.interfaces = {'org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.SystemPowerManagement'} (string list)
  info.product = 'Computer' (string)
  info.subsystem = 'unknown' (string)
  info.udi = '/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer' (string)
  org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.SystemPowerManagement.method_argnames = {'num_seconds_to_sleep', 'num_seconds_to_sleep', '', '', '', 'enable_power_save'} (string list)
  org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.SystemPowerManagement.method_execpaths = {'hal-system-power-suspend', 'hal-system-power-suspend-hybrid', 'hal-system-power-hibernate', 'hal-system-power-shutdown', 'hal-system-power-reboot', 'hal-system-power-set-power-save'} (string list)
  org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.SystemPowerManagement.method_names = {'Suspend', 'SuspendHybrid', 'Hibernate', 'Shutdown', 'Reboot', 'SetPowerSave'} (string list)
  org.freedesktop.Hal.Device.SystemPowerManagement.method_signatures = {'i', 'i', '', '', '', 'b'} (string list)
  power_management.acpi.linux.version = '20070126' (string)
  power_management.can_hibernate = true (bool)
  power_management.can_suspend = true (bool)
  power_management.can_suspend_hybrid = false (bool)
  power_management.can_suspend_to_disk = true (bool)
  power_management.can_suspend_to_ram = true (bool)
  power_management.is_powersave_set = true (bool)
  power_management.type = 'acpi' (string)
  system.chassis.manufactu...

Revision history for this message
pinguino (pcboard) wrote :

Hi again,

I am running Ubuntu 8.04

Thanks

Regards

pinguino

Revision history for this message
pinguino (pcboard) wrote :

Hi,

i have tested again the laptop and I get only a message 20 Minutes before the the laptop shutdown.
It says "the battery is low" but later the laptop shutdown without saying nothing.
It should be shutdown like a "shutdown -h" and not "light off"
Thanks a lot

Regards

pinguino

Changed in gnome-applets:
importance: Medium → Low
status: Confirmed → Triaged
Revision history for this message
Pete Goodall (pgoodall) wrote :

This problem exists for me in Intrepid as well. I am up-to-date as of 30 Sept. A secondary issue (that I will report in a separate bug) is that the gnome-power-manager icon does not reflect that I am currently plugged in. That is not always the case, but is so now. Taking a cue from pinguino I'll report some system information below:

$ sudo cat /proc/acpi/battery/BAT*/*
alarm: unsupported
present: yes
design capacity: 5200 mAh
last full capacity: 3668 mAh
battery technology: rechargeable
design voltage: 11100 mV
design capacity warning: 520 mAh
design capacity low: 157 mAh
capacity granularity 1: 52 mAh
capacity granularity 2: 52 mAh
model number: DELL NX5117
serial number: 10743
battery type: LION
OEM info: DP-LGC52
present: yes
capacity state: ok
charging state: charging
present rate: 1342 mA
remaining capacity: 511 mAh
present voltage: 11579 mV

Will attach the output of lshal.

Revision history for this message
Pete Goodall (pgoodall) wrote :

Attaching output of lshal

Revision history for this message
Enbie (noelb-ausics) wrote :

Confirmed on Hardy, with Acer Travelmate, wont even report accurate time/percent. but the output of acpi -b *does* report with complete accuracy every time I manually execute it.
Also percent remaining differs vastly on mouse-over to click on, does not update itself for most of the time, once minute its 98 percent then some time later it changes to 43% then its 18 then its whatever, no set pattern, it might never show 43 but show 71 then 0, even when it reports percent critical and action level, it does not turn off/hibernate or do anything, no pop up balloon, runs until battery exhausted. This WORKED fine on Windows XP and Fedora, but I wiped Fedora for Ubuntu.

anyway.....
/proc/acpi/battery/BAT0/
      info:
present: yes
design capacity: 65120 mWh
last full capacity: 52810 mWh
battery technology: rechargeable
design voltage: 14800 mV
design capacity warning: unknown
design capacity low: unknown
capacity granularity 1: unknown
capacity granularity 2: unknown
model number: 02ZL
serial number: 0
battery type: LION
OEM info: PS

     alarm:
unsupported
      state:
present: yes
capacity state: ok
charging state: discharging
present rate: 12026 mW
remaining capacity: 18120 mWh
present voltage: 14433 mV

acpi -b
Battery 1: discharging, 35%, 01:29:58 remaining panel icon shows 71 and 11 hours remaining (I only wish) :)

Curtis Hovey (sinzui)
Changed in linux-source-2.6.15 (Ubuntu):
assignee: Registry Administrators (registry) → nobody
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