Improve UI and state tracking for pending GPU mode changes #2

mukor · 2026-01-07T18:21:43Z

GPUMode.py Changes Analysis

This is a summary of the changes made agains HEAD: 6b0523e. In general, I wanted to clean up the UI to make it more intuitve. As part of that there were some state management changes that had to be made.

Summary

Version bump: 1.01 → 1.02

Overall scope: Major refactor of state management to properly track pending GPU mode changes requiring reboot, plus UI improvements with power indicators and checkbox-style menu items.

Changes Made

1. Added State Persistence System

Files/Lines: Lines 14, 21-22, 65-68, 125-192

What changed:

Added json import
Added STATE_FILE = LOG_DIR / "state.json" constant
Replaced single self.current_mode with dual tracking:
- self.boot_mode - actual GPU mode detected at startup (never changes until reboot)
- self.target_mode - pending mode if different from boot_mode

New methods:

get_system_boot_time() - reads btime from /proc/stat
load_state() - loads persisted target_mode, clears if reboot detected
save_state() - persists target_mode + boot_time to JSON
has_pending_change() - returns True if target_mode differs from boot_mode
set_target_mode() - sets target and saves state

Why: Previously, the UI would show the configured mode as active immediately after switching, even though the actual GPU doesn't change until reboot. This confused users into thinking the switch had taken effect.

⚠️ POTENTIAL ISSUE: JSON state file could become corrupt if write is interrupted. No error recovery beyond logging. Consider atomic write (write to temp, rename).

2. Added Power Consumption Indicators

Files/Lines: Lines 24-29

What changed:

POWER_INDICATORS = {
    'integrated': '⚡',
    'hybrid': '⚡⚡',
    'nvidia': '⚡⚡⚡'
}

Menu labels now include these indicators (e.g., "Integrated ⚡").

Why: Visual hint about relative power consumption of each mode.

3. Added Mode Icons Dictionary

Files/Lines: Lines 31-36

What changed:

MODE_ICONS = {
    'integrated': 'drive-harddisk-solidstate-symbolic',
    'hybrid': 'video-single-display-symbolic',
    'nvidia': 'video-display-symbolic'
}

Replaces inline icon selection in update_icon().

Why: Centralizes icon mapping, easier to maintain.

4. Changed Menu Items to CheckMenuItems

Files/Lines: Lines 462-482 (build_menu)

What changed:

GPU mode options changed from Gtk.MenuItem to Gtk.CheckMenuItem
Uses set_active() to show checkmark on current/pending mode
Removed switch_integrated() and switch_hybrid() wrapper methods
Added on_integrated_toggled() and on_hybrid_toggled() handlers

Why: Checkbox UI is more intuitive for mutually exclusive mode selection.

⚠️ POTENTIAL ISSUE: CheckMenuItem toggled signal fires both when checking AND unchecking. The handlers must guard against recursive/unwanted toggles. Current code does handle this but it's fragile:

def on_integrated_toggled(self, widget):
    if widget.get_active() and selected_mode != 'integrated':
        self.switch_gpu('integrated')
    elif not widget.get_active() and selected_mode == 'integrated':
        widget.set_active(True)  # Re-check if user tried to uncheck active

5. Added "(ON REBOOT)" Label Suffix

Files/Lines: Lines 463-466, 473-476

What changed:

if selected_mode == 'integrated' and self.boot_mode != 'integrated':
    integrated_label += ' (ON REBOOT)'

Why: Makes it clear that the selected mode won't take effect until reboot.

6. Changed Menu Header Format

Files/Lines: Line 425

What changed:

Old: ━━━ Current: {mode.upper()} ━━━
New: ACTIVE MODE: {mode.upper()}

Why: Cleaner, less decorative.

7. Changed RTD3 Parameter Value

Files/Lines: Lines 298, 558

What changed:

Old: cmd.extend(['--rtd3', '2'])
New: cmd.extend(['--rtd3', '3'])

Why: RTD3 level 3 is more aggressive power saving for the NVIDIA GPU in hybrid mode. Framework laptops with discrete GPUs are modern hardware that fully supports RTD3 level 3, so this is the appropriate setting for better battery life in hybrid mode.

8. Changed Reboot Command to Use pkexec

Files/Lines: Lines 310-315

What changed:

Old: subprocess.run(['systemctl', 'reboot'], timeout=5)
New: subprocess.run(['pkexec', 'systemctl', 'reboot'], timeout=60)

Also added handling for reboot cancellation:

if reboot_result.returncode != 0:
    logging.info("Reboot cancelled or failed, showing pending state")
    GLib.idle_add(self.switch_complete, mode, True, None)

Why: systemctl reboot requires root. Using pkexec prompts for authentication. If user cancels, UI now correctly shows pending state instead of hanging.

⚠️ POTENTIAL ISSUE: User now gets TWO pkexec prompts when using switch_and_reboot: one for envycontrol, one for reboot. This is slightly annoying UX but necessary for security.

9. Updated switch_complete() Logic

Files/Lines: Lines 600-638

What changed:

Now calls self.set_target_mode(mode) to persist state
Different notification based on has_pending_change():
- Pending change: "Reboot to finish the switch to MODE mode."
- No pending (restored to boot mode): "Restored to MODE mode. No reboot required."

Why: Better user feedback. If user switches back to boot mode, no reboot is needed.

10. Gutted refresh_mode() Method

Files/Lines: Lines 407-412

What changed:

def refresh_mode(self):
    """Refresh menu state (boot_mode is fixed at startup...)"""
    # boot_mode is intentionally NOT refreshed here...
    pass

Also removed from menu's 'show' signal connection.

Why: boot_mode should NEVER change during runtime - it represents actual GPU state at boot. Refreshing it would defeat the purpose of the new state tracking.

⚠️ POTENTIAL ISSUE: Method is now a no-op but still exists. Could confuse future maintainers. Consider removing entirely or renaming to clarify intent.

11. Changed CheckMenuItem Signal for Power Prompts

Files/Lines: Line 499

What changed:

Old: power_prompts_item.connect('activate', self.toggle_power_prompts)
New: power_prompts_item.connect('toggled', self.toggle_power_prompts)

Why: toggled is the correct signal for CheckMenuItem state changes.

12. Menu Structure Changes (NVIDIA mode)

Files/Lines: Lines 432-456

What changed:

Removed "⚠ NVIDIA Mode Active" warning line (redundant with header)
Moved "Set BIOS to Hybrid (F2)..." message to after Integrated/Hybrid options
NVIDIA CheckMenuItem kept sensitive (white text) but no handler connected
Uses CheckMenuItem with set_active(True) for NVIDIA when in NVIDIA mode

Why: Less redundant, cleaner visual hierarchy.

13. Removed Separator Before About

Files/Lines: Line 504

What changed:

Old: Had Gtk.SeparatorMenuItem() before Quit only
New: Has Gtk.SeparatorMenuItem() before Power Prompts and before About

Why: Better visual grouping.

Potential Issues Summary

Issue	Severity	Description
JSON state corruption	Low	No atomic write for state.json
Double pkexec prompt	Low	UX annoyance in switch_and_reboot flow
Empty refresh_mode()	Low	Dead code, could confuse maintainers
CheckMenuItem toggle guards	Low	Fragile re-check logic if user unchecks active mode

Files Changed

GPUMode.py - All changes above

New Dependencies

None (json is stdlib)

New Files Created at Runtime

~/.local/share/gpumode/state.json - Persists target_mode and boot_time

This is a really small change to the dependencies.

# GPUMode.py Changes Analysis This is a summary of the changes made agains HEAD: `6b0523e`. In general, I wanted to clean up the UI to make it more intuitve. As part of that there were some state management changes that had to be made. --- ## Summary **Version bump:** 1.01 → 1.02 **Overall scope:** Major refactor of state management to properly track pending GPU mode changes requiring reboot, plus UI improvements with power indicators and checkbox-style menu items. --- ## Changes Made ### 1. Added State Persistence System **Files/Lines:** Lines 14, 21-22, 65-68, 125-192 **What changed:** - Added `json` import - Added `STATE_FILE = LOG_DIR / "state.json"` constant - Replaced single `self.current_mode` with dual tracking: - `self.boot_mode` - actual GPU mode detected at startup (never changes until reboot) - `self.target_mode` - pending mode if different from boot_mode **New methods:** - `get_system_boot_time()` - reads btime from `/proc/stat` - `load_state()` - loads persisted target_mode, clears if reboot detected - `save_state()` - persists target_mode + boot_time to JSON - `has_pending_change()` - returns True if target_mode differs from boot_mode - `set_target_mode()` - sets target and saves state **Why:** Previously, the UI would show the *configured* mode as active immediately after switching, even though the actual GPU doesn't change until reboot. This confused users into thinking the switch had taken effect. **⚠️ POTENTIAL ISSUE:** JSON state file could become corrupt if write is interrupted. No error recovery beyond logging. Consider atomic write (write to temp, rename). --- ### 2. Added Power Consumption Indicators **Files/Lines:** Lines 24-29 **What changed:** ```python POWER_INDICATORS = { 'integrated': '⚡', 'hybrid': '⚡⚡', 'nvidia': '⚡⚡⚡' } ``` Menu labels now include these indicators (e.g., "Integrated ⚡"). **Why:** Visual hint about relative power consumption of each mode. --- ### 3. Added Mode Icons Dictionary **Files/Lines:** Lines 31-36 **What changed:** ```python MODE_ICONS = { 'integrated': 'drive-harddisk-solidstate-symbolic', 'hybrid': 'video-single-display-symbolic', 'nvidia': 'video-display-symbolic' } ``` Replaces inline icon selection in `update_icon()`. **Why:** Centralizes icon mapping, easier to maintain. --- ### 4. Changed Menu Items to CheckMenuItems **Files/Lines:** Lines 462-482 (build_menu) **What changed:** - GPU mode options changed from `Gtk.MenuItem` to `Gtk.CheckMenuItem` - Uses `set_active()` to show checkmark on current/pending mode - Removed `switch_integrated()` and `switch_hybrid()` wrapper methods - Added `on_integrated_toggled()` and `on_hybrid_toggled()` handlers **Why:** Checkbox UI is more intuitive for mutually exclusive mode selection. **⚠️ POTENTIAL ISSUE:** `CheckMenuItem` `toggled` signal fires both when checking AND unchecking. The handlers must guard against recursive/unwanted toggles. Current code does handle this but it's fragile: ```python def on_integrated_toggled(self, widget): if widget.get_active() and selected_mode != 'integrated': self.switch_gpu('integrated') elif not widget.get_active() and selected_mode == 'integrated': widget.set_active(True) # Re-check if user tried to uncheck active ``` --- ### 5. Added "(ON REBOOT)" Label Suffix **Files/Lines:** Lines 463-466, 473-476 **What changed:** ```python if selected_mode == 'integrated' and self.boot_mode != 'integrated': integrated_label += ' (ON REBOOT)' ``` **Why:** Makes it clear that the selected mode won't take effect until reboot. --- ### 6. Changed Menu Header Format **Files/Lines:** Line 425 **What changed:** - Old: `━━━ Current: {mode.upper()} ━━━` - New: `ACTIVE MODE: {mode.upper()}` **Why:** Cleaner, less decorative. --- ### 7. Changed RTD3 Parameter Value **Files/Lines:** Lines 298, 558 **What changed:** - Old: `cmd.extend(['--rtd3', '2'])` - New: `cmd.extend(['--rtd3', '3'])` **Why:** RTD3 level 3 is more aggressive power saving for the NVIDIA GPU in hybrid mode. Framework laptops with discrete GPUs are modern hardware that fully supports RTD3 level 3, so this is the appropriate setting for better battery life in hybrid mode. --- ### 8. Changed Reboot Command to Use pkexec **Files/Lines:** Lines 310-315 **What changed:** - Old: `subprocess.run(['systemctl', 'reboot'], timeout=5)` - New: `subprocess.run(['pkexec', 'systemctl', 'reboot'], timeout=60)` Also added handling for reboot cancellation: ```python if reboot_result.returncode != 0: logging.info("Reboot cancelled or failed, showing pending state") GLib.idle_add(self.switch_complete, mode, True, None) ``` **Why:** `systemctl reboot` requires root. Using pkexec prompts for authentication. If user cancels, UI now correctly shows pending state instead of hanging. **⚠️ POTENTIAL ISSUE:** User now gets TWO pkexec prompts when using switch_and_reboot: one for envycontrol, one for reboot. This is slightly annoying UX but necessary for security. --- ### 9. Updated switch_complete() Logic **Files/Lines:** Lines 600-638 **What changed:** - Now calls `self.set_target_mode(mode)` to persist state - Different notification based on `has_pending_change()`: - Pending change: "Reboot to finish the switch to MODE mode." - No pending (restored to boot mode): "Restored to MODE mode. No reboot required." **Why:** Better user feedback. If user switches back to boot mode, no reboot is needed. --- ### 10. Gutted refresh_mode() Method **Files/Lines:** Lines 407-412 **What changed:** ```python def refresh_mode(self): """Refresh menu state (boot_mode is fixed at startup...)""" # boot_mode is intentionally NOT refreshed here... pass ``` Also removed from menu's 'show' signal connection. **Why:** boot_mode should NEVER change during runtime - it represents actual GPU state at boot. Refreshing it would defeat the purpose of the new state tracking. **⚠️ POTENTIAL ISSUE:** Method is now a no-op but still exists. Could confuse future maintainers. Consider removing entirely or renaming to clarify intent. --- ### 11. Changed CheckMenuItem Signal for Power Prompts **Files/Lines:** Line 499 **What changed:** - Old: `power_prompts_item.connect('activate', self.toggle_power_prompts)` - New: `power_prompts_item.connect('toggled', self.toggle_power_prompts)` **Why:** `toggled` is the correct signal for CheckMenuItem state changes. --- ### 12. Menu Structure Changes (NVIDIA mode) **Files/Lines:** Lines 432-456 **What changed:** - Removed "⚠ NVIDIA Mode Active" warning line (redundant with header) - Moved "Set BIOS to Hybrid (F2)..." message to after Integrated/Hybrid options - NVIDIA CheckMenuItem kept sensitive (white text) but no handler connected - Uses CheckMenuItem with `set_active(True)` for NVIDIA when in NVIDIA mode **Why:** Less redundant, cleaner visual hierarchy. --- ### 13. Removed Separator Before About **Files/Lines:** Line 504 **What changed:** - Old: Had `Gtk.SeparatorMenuItem()` before Quit only - New: Has `Gtk.SeparatorMenuItem()` before Power Prompts and before About **Why:** Better visual grouping. --- ## Potential Issues Summary | Issue | Severity | Description | |-------|----------|-------------| | JSON state corruption | Low | No atomic write for state.json | | Double pkexec prompt | Low | UX annoyance in switch_and_reboot flow | | Empty refresh_mode() | Low | Dead code, could confuse maintainers | | CheckMenuItem toggle guards | Low | Fragile re-check logic if user unchecks active mode | --- ## Files Changed - `GPUMode.py` - All changes above ## New Dependencies - None (json is stdlib) ## New Files Created at Runtime - `~/.local/share/gpumode/state.json` - Persists target_mode and boot_time

mukor added 2 commits January 6, 2026 12:53

added mesa-utils as dependency

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This is a really small change to the dependencies.

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Improve UI and state tracking for pending GPU mode changes #2

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mukor commented Jan 7, 2026

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mukor commented Jan 7, 2026

GPUMode.py Changes Analysis

Summary

Changes Made

1. Added State Persistence System

2. Added Power Consumption Indicators

3. Added Mode Icons Dictionary

4. Changed Menu Items to CheckMenuItems

5. Added "(ON REBOOT)" Label Suffix

6. Changed Menu Header Format

7. Changed RTD3 Parameter Value

8. Changed Reboot Command to Use pkexec

9. Updated switch_complete() Logic

10. Gutted refresh_mode() Method

11. Changed CheckMenuItem Signal for Power Prompts

12. Menu Structure Changes (NVIDIA mode)

13. Removed Separator Before About

Potential Issues Summary

Files Changed

New Dependencies

New Files Created at Runtime

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Assignees

Labels

Projects

Milestone

Development

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