Debian
Scope:
Debian oldstable, stable, testing and unstable
Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE)
Note
Execute the commands below in a root shell or with a preceding sudo.
Package Repository
TLP and ThinkPad-related packages below are available via the official Debian repositories.
Newer TLP packages may be provided via Debian backports. Add the following line to your /etc/apt/sources.list:
deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian DIST-backports main
Replace DIST with the codename of your installed Debian version.
Update package data:
apt update
Package Installation
Install the following packages
tlp (main) – Power saving
tlp-rdw (main) – optional – Radio Device Wizard
either with your favorite package manager or the command:
apt install tlp tlp-rdw
For Debian backports use:
apt -t DIST-backports install tlp tlp-rdw
Replace DIST with the codename of your installed Debian version.
ThinkPads only: External Kernel Modules
Important
As of version 5.17, the Linux kernel in combination with TLP 1.5 or later offers full battery care support (i.e. charge thresholds and recalibration) for ThinkPads from model year 2011 onwards.
Therefore no external kernel modules are required with kernel 5.17 or later and you do not need to proceed any further here.
Linux kernels 4.19 through 5.16 provide only charge threshold functionality but no recalibration. If this is sufficient for you, stop reading here. However, if you need the recalibration feature or your model and/or kernel is older, read on. You may find out your current kernel version with the command uname -a or when TLP is already installed with tlp-stat -s.
Depending on your model and kernel version external kernel module(s) are required to provide battery charge thresholds and recalibration.
The output of tlp-stat -b will guide you which package to install:
tp-smapi-dkms (main) – optional – External kernel module providing battery charge thresholds and recalibration for ThinkPads before model year 2011 as well as specific tlp-stat -b output until model year 2011
acpi-call-dkms (main) – optional (kernel 5.16 and older only) – External kernel module providing battery recalibration for ThinkPads since model year 2011 - e.g. T420/X220 and newer
Install the appropriate package either with your favorite package manager or the command
apt install tp-smapi-dkms
Warning
Bullseye: the acpi-call-dkms package in the official repositories is incompatible with backports kernels ≥ 5.13 and may cause TLP battery care malfunction, system freezes and reboots.
Solution: install acpi-call-dkms version 1.2.2 from Debian backports:
apt -t bullseye-backports install acpi-call-dkms
Note
Which external kernel module do I need for my ThinkPad? explains details
Refer to Debian backports for setup instructions
You must disable Secure Boot to use the ThinkPad specific packages