With Ubuntu versions prior to Karmic you could change the CPU Frequency as a normal user. After typing in the root password you could allow the user to change the CPU Frequency after ticking the box remember this the user could do this himself in the future. Easy going that’s how it should be with Ubuntu for some reason that does not work any more. And this is the solution:

1. Create a file named:

vi /var/lib/polkit-1/localauthority/50-local.d/gnome-cpufreq.pkla

2. Copy the following content into the file:

[Allow users to set the CPU frequency]
Identity=unix-group:simon
Action=org.gnome.cpufreqselector
ResultAny=no
ResultInactive=no
ResultActive=yes


That’s it easy once you know how it’s done.