[Unit]
Description=Set CPU governor at boot
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/usr/bin/cpupower frequency-set -g ondemand

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

auto-cpufreq setup

To get a “flawless” setup on an Intel-based Debian laptop, you should avoid the Snap version and use the Git Installer. This ensures you get the power_helper.py script and proper system integration that Snaps often lack.

1. Full Installation Instructions
   Open your terminal and run these in order:

Bash

1. Install dependencies

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git python3-dev python3-pip python3-venv python3-setuptools dmidecode libcairo2-dev libgtk-3-dev gcc python3-gi

2. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/AdnanHodzic/auto-cpufreq.git
cd auto-cpufreq

3. Run the installer

sudo ./auto-cpufreq-installer
During installation, choose i to install the daemon.

2. The Critical “Debian/Intel” Cleanup
   As you saw, your governor was stuck. This is because Debian/GNOME services are fighting auto-cpufreq.

Step A: Disable the Conflict

Bash
sudo systemctl stop power-profiles-daemon
sudo systemctl mask power-profiles-daemon
Step B: Configure for Cooling (Your 800MHz Heat Issue)
Create the config file to force powersave and kill turbo (the main cause of idle heat).

Bash
sudo nano /etc/auto-cpufreq.conf
Paste this exactly:

Ini, TOML
[charger]
governor = powersave
turbo = never

[battery]
governor = powersave
turbo = never
Save and exit (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X).

Step C: Restart the Daemon

Bash
sudo systemctl restart auto-cpufreq

3. Setup Questions (To refine your “Flawless” config)
   To tailor this specifically to your Intel hardware, answer these:

What is the output of cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_driver?

If it is intel_pstate, we should check your HWP (Hardware P-State) settings.

If it is acpi-cpufreq, your CPU is older and might need different governor names.

Does your laptop have a dedicated GPU (Nvidia)?

If yes, the 800MHz heat is likely the GPU “leaking” heat to the shared CPU heatsink.

Are you using a GNOME desktop environment?

GNOME has a “Power” slider in the top right menu. If you touch that slider, it can sometimes override these settings.

What is the age/generation of the Intel CPU? (e.g., i5-8250U, i7-12700H)

12th gen and newer (Hybrid architecture) require specific handling of E-cores vs. P-cores.

Would you like me to show you how to check your C-States now that we’ve (hopefully) forced the powersave governor?