Platform Profile Applet

A KDE Plasma Widget (Applet) for viewing and changing ACPI platform profiles on Linux systems, particularly useful for Lenovo laptops with Fn+Q functionality.

Overview

This Plasma applet provides an easy way to:

• View the current platform profile at a glance
• Switch between available platform profiles with a single click
• Monitor profile changes made via Fn+Q keyboard shortcut (on supported devices)

What are Platform Profiles?

Platform profiles control the performance and power behavior of your system through ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface). Common profiles include:

• Performance: Maximum performance, higher power consumption
• Balanced: Balance between performance and power efficiency
• Low-Power/Quiet: Power saving mode with reduced performance

Features

• Quick Access: Panel icon shows current profile at a glance
• Easy Switching: Click to open popup and select desired profile
• Visual Feedback: Color-coded profiles and icons
• Fn+Q Compatible: Automatically detects profile changes from keyboard shortcuts
• Secure: Uses pkexec for authenticated profile changes
• Real-time Updates: Monitors profile changes every 5 seconds

Requirements

System Requirements

• Linux system with ACPI platform profile support
• /sys/firmware/acpi/platform_profile file must exist
• /sys/firmware/acpi/platform_profile_choices file must exist

Software Requirements

• KDE Plasma 6.x (primary support)
• Qt 6.x
• pkexec (for changing profiles with root privileges)
• kpackagetool6 (for installation)

Note: This version is designed for Plasma 6. For Plasma 5 support, please use an older release.

Check System Compatibility

To check if your system supports platform profiles:

# Check if platform profile files exist
ls -l /sys/firmware/acpi/platform_profile*

# View current profile
cat /sys/firmware/acpi/platform_profile

# View available profiles
cat /sys/firmware/acpi/platform_profile_choices

Installation

Automatic Installation

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Scott-Nx/Platform-Profile_Applet.git
   cd Platform-Profile_Applet

2. Run the installation script:

   ./install.sh

3. Add the widget to your panel:

   • Right-click on your KDE panel
   • Select "Add Widgets..."
   • Search for "Platform Profile"
   • Drag it to your panel or desktop

Manual Installation

If you prefer to install manually:

# For Plasma 6
kpackagetool6 -t Plasma/Applet -i package

# For Plasma 5
kpackagetool5 -t Plasma/Applet -i package

Updating

To update the applet:

git pull
./install.sh

The installation script will automatically remove the old version before installing the new one.

Uninstallation

Run the uninstallation script:

./uninstall.sh

Or manually:

# For Plasma 6
kpackagetool6 -t Plasma/Applet -r org.kde.plasma.platformprofile

# For Plasma 5
kpackagetool5 -t Plasma/Applet -r org.kde.plasma.platformprofile

Usage

Popup Interface

Click the panel icon to open the popup interface, which shows:

• Current profile name (color-coded)
• Buttons for all available profiles
• Active profile marked with a checkmark (✓)

Changing Profiles

1. Click the panel icon to open the popup
2. Click on the desired profile button
3. Authenticate with your password when prompted (pkexec)
4. The profile will change and the interface updates automatically

Troubleshooting

Applet shows "Error accessing platform profile"

Cause: The system doesn't support ACPI platform profiles or files are not accessible.

Solutions:

• Verify files exist: ls -l /sys/firmware/acpi/platform_profile*
• Check your hardware supports this feature (common on Lenovo laptops)
• Ensure ACPI is enabled in BIOS/UEFI

Cannot change profile / Authentication fails

Cause: Missing or misconfigured pkexec.

Solutions:

• Install PolicyKit:
  • Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt install policykit-1
  • Fedora: sudo dnf install polkit
  • Arch: sudo pacman -S polkit

Applet doesn't appear in widget list

Cause: Installation failed or Plasma needs restart.

Solutions:

• Restart Plasma: plasmashell --replace &
• Or log out and log back in
• Verify installation: kpackagetool5 -t Plasma/Applet -s org.kde.plasma.platformprofile

Profile changes not reflected

Cause: Delayed update or permission issues.

Solutions:

• Wait a few seconds (updates every 5 seconds)
• Check manually: cat /sys/firmware/acpi/platform_profile
• Verify file permissions on platform_profile files

Testing

To test the applet without installing:

plasmoidviewer -a package

### Debugging

Enable debug output:

```bash
# View Plasma logs
journalctl -f | grep plasma

Supported Devices

This applet works on any Linux system that supports ACPI platform profiles. It's particularly useful for:

• Lenovo ThinkPad laptops with Fn+Q
• Lenovo ThinkBook laptops with Fn+Q
• Lenovo IdeaPad laptops
• Other laptops with ACPI platform profile support

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues or pull requests.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• KDE Plasma team for the excellent widget framework
• Lenovo for implementing ACPI platform profile support
• Linux kernel developers for ACPI subsystem