Configuring Power Management Using the Command Line

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You can change the system default settings for the Power Management utilities on systems that are not configured to run the OpenWindows environment. Refer to the power.conf man page for more information.

Note - To change any of the system default settings, you must become superuser.

* Become superuser by typing:


  example% su  
  Password: root password  
  example#

Setting Device Idle Time

The length of idle time before a system device, such as a screen, keyboard, or mouse, uses the low power mode is specified by the threshold field in the /etc/power.conf file.

To change the length of idle time:

Edit the /etc/power.conf file. Type:


  example# vi /etc/power.conf

Modify the desired entry.
The idle threshold for the mouse device has been set at 300 seconds or 5 minutes in the /etc/power.conf file, as shown below.


  # This is a sample power management configuration file  
  # Fields must be separated by white space or semicolons  
  # Remember that physical dependents are automatically included  
  # in power management scans.  
  
  # Name            Threshold(s)     Logical Dependent(s)  
  /dev/kbd          300  
  /dev/mouse        300  
  /dev/fb           0 0              /dev/kbd /dev/mouse  
  
  # Auto-Shutdown   Idle Time(min)   Start/Finish Times (hh:mm)  
  autoshutdown      30               17:00   8:00

Inform the Power Management framework of the new settings. Type:


  example# /usr/sbin/pmconfig

This informs the Power Management framework of the new setting according to the thresholds that are now defined in the /etc/power.conf file.

Setting AutoShutdown

To change the automatic shutdown time:

Edit the AutoShutdown entry in /etc/power.conf file. Type:


  example# vi /etc/power.conf

The AutoShutdown feature has been set to always in the /etc/power.conf file, as shown below. This means your system will always power off after a 30 minute period of inactivity.


  # This is a sample power management configuration file  
  # Fields must be separated by white space or semicolons  
  # Remember that physical dependents are automatically included  
  # in power management scans.  
  
  # Name            Threshold(s)     Logical Dependent(s)  
  /dev/kbd          00  
  /dev/mouse        300  
  /dev/fb           0 0              /dev/kbd /dev/mouse  
  
  # Auto-Shutdown   Idle Time(min)   Start/Finish Times (hh:mm)  
  autoshutdown      30               0:00   0:00

The AutoShutdown time in the /etc/power.conf file, as shown below, is set to power off your system every day between 5:00 pm and 8:00 am after a 30 minute period of inactivity.

Note - The start and finish times must be entered in a 24-hour format.


  # This is a sample power management configuration file  
  # Fields must be separated by white space or semicolons  
  # Remember that physical dependents are automatically included  
  # in power management scans.  
  
  # Name            Threshold(s)     Logical Dependent(s)  
  /dev/kbd          00  
  /dev/mouse        300  
  /dev/fb           0 0              /dev/kbd /dev/mouse  
  
  # Auto-Shutdown   Idle Time(min)   Start/Finish Times (hh:mm)  
  autoshutdown      30               17:00   8:00

To disable the AutoShutdown feature, comment out the AutoShutdown line as shown below, or set idle time to -1.


  # This is a sample power management configuration file  
  # Fields must be separated by white space or semicolons  
  # Remember that physical dependents are automatically included  
  # in power management scans.  
  
  # Name            Threshold(s)     Logical Dependent(s)  
  /dev/kbd          00  
  /dev/mouse        300  
  /dev/fb           0 0              /dev/kbd /dev/mouse  
  
  # Auto-Shutdown   Idle Time(min)   Start/Finish Times (hh:mm)  
  #autoshutdown      -1               17:00   8:00

Inform the Power Management framework of the new settings. Type:


  example# /usr/sbin/pmconfig

This informs the Power Management framework of the new setting according to the thresholds that are now defined in the /etc/power.conf file.