cpufrequtils

cpufrequtils is a collection of command-line utilities for the Linux kernel's CPUfreq subsystem. This subsystem allows for dynamic adjustment of the CPU's operating frequency and governor. The primary tools provided by cpufrequtils are cpufreq-info and cpufreq-set.

cpufreq-info provides detailed information about the CPU's frequency scaling capabilities. It displays the current CPU frequency, the available frequency range, the current governor, and a list of all available governors. This information is crucial for understanding how the CPU frequency is being managed on a system.

cpufreq-set allows users to manually control CPU frequency scaling. It can be used to set the desired CPU frequency, either to a specific value or within a range. More commonly, it is used to change the active governor. Governors are algorithms that determine how the CPU frequency should be adjusted based on system load and other factors. Common governors include 'performance' (which keeps the CPU at its highest frequency), 'powersave' (which aims to reduce power consumption), and 'ondemand' (which scales frequency up and down based on demand).

These utilities are typically used by system administrators and advanced users to optimize system performance, manage power consumption, or diagnose frequency scaling issues. They interact with the kernel's cpufreq drivers to implement the desired settings. The availability and functionality of cpufrequtils depend on the CPU hardware and the Linux kernel's support for frequency scaling.