Toshiba Satellite fan issue

[DarkLoad]

RJ12: Fan is running a little bit more but it's not going to be sufficient to keep this thing cool, I don't think. It has a prior chronic overheating problem that I admittedly need to resolve soon regardless of whether the fan can run at full speed or not.

HermanAB: The file you directed me at does not appear to exist. Will it hurt anything to create it?

EDIT: More to the point, will it HELP anything?

[robsoles]

/usr/share/doc/toshset/toshiba-acpi$ sh install.sh
sh: Can't open install.sh

/usr/share/doc/toshset/toshiba-acpi$ sudo ./install.sh
sudo: ./install.sh: command not found

As a side note:

ls /usr/share/doc/toshset/toshiba-acpi
2.6.26  2.6.28

@RJ12: What file is that that I should add that to to try it?

Those are obviously folder names of version numbers - the instructions you posted before predate a second version

Try:

cd /usr/share/doc/toshset/toshiba-acpi/2.6.28
ls

If there is a blasted install.sh file then

./install.sh

If there are more directories then pick one and 'cd' into it, 'ls' again, got an install.sh?

Alternatively:

cd /usr/share/doc/toshset/toshiba-acpi/2.6.28
find -name install.sh

will 'dig' it up if it exists.

[DarkLoad]

I managed to get it to start installing, and then, just as it was finishing...

ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.35-25-generic/build M=/usr/share/doc/toshset/toshiba-acpi/2.6.28 modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.35-25-generic'
make[2]: *** No rule to make target `/usr/share/doc/toshset/toshiba-acpi/2.6.28/toshiba_acpi.c', needed by `/usr/share/doc/toshset/toshiba-acpi/2.6.28/toshiba_acpi.o'.  Stop.
make[1]: *** [_module_/usr/share/doc/toshset/toshiba-acpi/2.6.28] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.35-25-generic'
make: *** [all] Error 2
cp: cannot stat `toshiba_acpi.ko': No such file or directory

You wouldn't happen to have any input on HermanAB's software advice? (Oh and from now on can we pretend we're handcuffed to our machines so that we remember "sell it and get a different one" is really a non-solution?)

[robsoles]

I managed to get it to start installing, and then, just as it was finishing...

ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
make -C /lib/modules/2.6.35-25-generic/build M=/usr/share/doc/toshset/toshiba-acpi/2.6.28 modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.35-25-generic'
make[2]: *** No rule to make target `/usr/share/doc/toshset/toshiba-acpi/2.6.28/toshiba_acpi.c', needed by `/usr/share/doc/toshset/toshiba-acpi/2.6.28/toshiba_acpi.o'.  Stop.
make[1]: *** [_module_/usr/share/doc/toshset/toshiba-acpi/2.6.28] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.35-25-generic'
make: *** [all] Error 2
cp: cannot stat `toshiba_acpi.ko': No such file or directory

You wouldn't happen to have any input on HermanAB's software advice? (Oh and from now on can we pretend we're handcuffed to our machines so that we remember "sell it and get a different one" is really a non-solution?)

Wasn't it HermanAB's advice to sell it and get a different one? (just mucking around, this is all to serious and bogged down!)


Please try the same thing in the other directory, ie., you just did it in 2.6.28 - please try it in 2.6.26, when/if that fails we've exhausted the possibilities of that method and we should definitely move on.

My next stop will be HermanAB's advice regarding /boot/grub/menu.lst but I will probably be asking you to post your original file and accept changes via an attachment rather than just describing what to do and hoping you can nail it correctly.

[Guilden_NL]

For a short term workaround, have you considered buying a notebook cooler? I bought a Zalman ZM-NC2000 Notebook Cooler for an HP EliteBook 8740w Mobile Workstation that has plenty of onboard cooling, but figured that a little help from the outside wouldn't hurt either.

There are plenty of much cheaper versions, I saw one for under US$10 this week at a computer enthusiast store.

It doesn't correct your root cause, but it could buy you some time and I think you'll like having one long term anyway.

[DarkLoad]

Whatever I buy has to be within walking distance, and the only store in range is Office Depot, which offers them for about $20-30 USD. I don't really have the money for it and my mother used to buy these for her laptop when she had overheating problems - they break pretty easily. I'll consider it, though.

I'll try the other - it didn't cross my mind to, sorry! And the file he mentioned did not exist. I can create it but that doesn't mean it will work.

EDIT: Coughed up pretty much the same error, but sooner, since everything else had already been installed as the latest version. Still doesn't work.

[heyho]

Nothing to add of any help I'm afraid, just to say that this would explain the overheating problems I had with any 'buntu on my Toshiba A60. The fan sometimes ran, and sometimes didn't.

Recently put XP back on and no problems since.

[robsoles]

Whatever I buy has to be within walking distance, and the only store in range is Office Depot, which offers them for about $20-30 USD. I don't really have the money for it and my mother used to buy these for her laptop when she had overheating problems - they break pretty easily. I'll consider it, though.

I'll try the other - it didn't cross my mind to, sorry! And the file he mentioned did not exist. I can create it but that doesn't mean it will work.

EDIT: Coughed up pretty much the same error, but sooner, since everything else had already been installed as the latest version. Still doesn't work.

/boot/grub/menu.lst appears deprecated (no longer used) so the direct application of HermanAB's advice doesn't seem applicable.

/etc/default/grub does exist, here is a fairly vanilla copy:

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

So maybe we can try a near match to HermanAB's suggestion into the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="" line like this:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi=Linux"

I am probably wrong but the worst it will do is make you boot from LiveCD and remove the string. Note the bit of the 'vanilla' one I have made bold -

sudo update-grub

Is required to make changes come into effect - Restart is also required.

To get such a file open in gedit

gksudo gedit /etc/default/grub

will do.

If that fails, seems crazy to me but let's try RJ12's advice (no offense intended RJ12, just doesn't seem right to mention Windows on these holy grounds!) so

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi_os=!Windows 2006"

to replace the other attempt followed by the 'update-grub' and a restart again.

[DarkLoad]

I've done this before, don't worry. Kinda doubt it will cause problems. Will post again with results.

[DarkLoad]

Well, it didn't hurt anything, but it didn't help much either. I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to try next.

EDIT: Any chance of there being an existing program to play a system sound as an alarm when one of the sensors reaches a given temp? That might mitigate the situation a bit.