[mdlug] Ubuntu I on another laptop

[Aaron Kulkis]

David Lee Lambert wrote:

> 2.  The battery drains completely in less than a day even when the 
> computer is completely off and unplugged.  Also (I'm not sure if it's 

this is due to internal discharge of the battery.
An ideal battery has 100% internal resistance, and therefore
infinite shelf life; real life batteries do not.

Depending on the battery technology (NiCad especially) there
could be additional "memory" effects and other anamolies, which
can, in some cases, be relieved, or minimized with a few complete
recharge/discharge-under-load cycles. (i.e. with the computer
powered on).  After a year in Bagdad, with my laptop plugged in
all of the time, and the battery discharging ONLY when the
generator mechanics shut off my barracks power for 4-hour
maintenance windows, my HP battery would run on battery power
for only 15-20 minutes before the sensors reported minimal
reserve left and SUSE 10.1 would do an automatic shutdown to
prevent a power-out crash.  Apparently, the battery-state
reporting circuits get fooled by continuous use with little to
no discharge.

> related) a little lightning-bolt icon between the power and 
> disk-activity lights flashes slowly all the time, and sometimes starts 
> flashing slowly in the middle of the night when the computer was 
> completely off.


I'm assuming this happens only when plugged in or only when
unplugged -- in which case, the lightning bolt is some sort
of charge activity (flashing = charging) or charge status
indicator (flashing = low charge condition).