HOW TO: Install and configure lm-sensors

[emperor]

Howto Install and Configure lm-sensors
========================

1. Install lm-sensors using apt-get or the Synaptic GUI.

sudo apt-get install lm-sensors


2. Run the mkdev.sh script in the lm-sensors source. It is extacted below:

a. Copy the script file below to a text editor and save it to a file named mkdev.sh.

#!/bin/bash

# Here you can set several defaults.

# The number of devices to create (max: 256)
NUMBER=32

# The owner and group of the devices
OUSER=root
OGROUP=root
# The mode of the devices
MODE=600

# This script doesn't need to be run if devfs is used
if [ -r /proc/mounts ] ; then
if grep -q "/dev devfs" /proc/mounts ; then
echo "You do not need to run this script as your system uses devfs."
exit;
fi
fi

i=0;

while [ $i -lt $NUMBER ] ; do
echo /dev/i2c-$i
mknod -m $MODE /dev/i2c-$i c 89 $i || exit
chown "$OUSER:$OGROUP" /dev/i2c-$i || exit
i=$[$i + 1]
done
#end of file

b. Make the file executable:

chmod 755 mkdev.sh

c. Run mkdev.sh from the current directory

sudo ./mkdev.sh


3. Now run sensors-detect and answer YES to all YES/no questions. I generally use the ISA bus rather than the SMBus bus, your choice to this question!. At the end of the detection phase, a list of modules that needs to be loaded will displayed. You will need to write these down or print the list for the next steps.

sudo sensors-detect

Below is an example of results from sensors-detect:
#************************************************* *****************************
To make the sensors modules behave correctly, add these lines to
/etc/modules:

#----cut here----
# I2C adapter drivers
i2c-viapro
i2c-isa
# I2C chip drivers
eeprom
it87
#----cut here----

Then, run /etc/init.d/module-init-tools

To make the sensors modules behave correctly, add these lines to
/etc/modprobe.d/local and run update-modules:

#----cut here----
# I2C module options
alias char-major-89 i2c-dev
#----cut here----
#************************************************* *******************************


4. In this example, we add the modules in reverse order (order is critical!) in "/etc/modules".

#************************************************* ***********************
# /etc/modules: kernel modules to load at boot time.
#
# This file should contain the names of kernel modules that are
# to be loaded at boot time, one per line. Comments begin with
# a "#", and everything on the line after them are ignored.

psmouse
mousedev
ide-cd
ide-disk
ide-generic
lp

#For lm-sensors, i2c modules
it87
i2c-viapro
i2c-isa

#end of file!
#************************************************* ****************


4. I found that there was no "/etc/modprobe.d/local" and that "alias char-major-89 i2c-dev" was already listed in "/etc/modprobe.d/aliases". So, nothing to do here.


5.Now load the modules manually using modprobe and update the dependencies.

sudo modprobe i2c-sensor
sudo modprobe i2c-viapro
sudo modprobe i2c-isa
sudo modprobe it87

sudo depmod -a <may not be needed!>
sudo update-modules <may not be needed!>


6. Now test the sensor output using the lm-sensors utility "sensors".

sensors

************************************************** *****************
it87-isa-0290
Adapter: ISA adapter
VCore 1: +1.57 V (min = +1.42 V, max = +1.57 V) ALARM
VCore 2: +2.66 V (min = +2.40 V, max = +2.61 V) ALARM
+3.3V: +6.59 V (min = +3.14 V, max = +3.46 V) ALARM
+5V: +5.11 V (min = +4.76 V, max = +5.24 V)
+12V: +11.78 V (min = +11.39 V, max = +12.61 V)
-12V: -19.14 V (min = -12.63 V, max = -11.41 V) ALARM
-5V: +0.77 V (min = -5.26 V, max = -4.77 V) ALARM
Stdby: +5.00 V (min = +4.76 V, max = +5.24 V)
VBat: +3.12 V
fan1: 3668 RPM (min = 0 RPM, div =
fan2: 0 RPM (min = 664 RPM, div = ALARM
fan3: 0 RPM (min = 2657 RPM, div = 2) ALARM
M/B Temp: +39°C (low = +15°C, high = +40°C) sensor = thermistor
CPU Temp: +36°C (low = +15°C, high = +45°C) sensor = thermistor
Temp3: +96°C (low = +15°C, high = +45°C) sensor = diode
************************************************** ********************

7. Reboot Ubuntu and the sensors should now be detected during the boot process properly!

8. The sensor output may be tweaked by editing the "/etc/sensors.conf" file. It is possible to correct inacurate scaling too. For details check "man sensors.conf.

[jgaynor]

EXCELLENT howto man - I had been struggling with this using the debian method but this worked without issue. Thanks again!

[Tichondrius]

Works great, I was looking for something like this for overclocking...
But I did not understand what you said about the reverse order in /etc/modules. What exactly should be reversed ?

BTW, if you want a graphical output, try installing the "xsensors" package which uses lm-sensors.

[Rule]

Well I gess I got it working for once but when I type in "sensors" mine comes out differant from your

eeprom-i2c-0-51
Adapter: SiS96x SMBus adapter at 0x0c00
Memory type:            DDR SDRAM DIMM
Memory size (MB):       256

eeprom-i2c-0-50
Adapter: SiS96x SMBus adapter at 0x0c00
Memory type:            DDR SDRAM DIMM
Memory size (MB):       256

[woifi]

Well I gess I got it working for once but when I type in "sensors" mine comes out differant from your

eeprom-i2c-0-51
Adapter: SiS96x SMBus adapter at 0x0c00
Memory type:            DDR SDRAM DIMM
Memory size (MB):       256

eeprom-i2c-0-50
Adapter: SiS96x SMBus adapter at 0x0c00
Memory type:            DDR SDRAM DIMM
Memory size (MB):       256

is this your full output? if yes, something went wrong

it should look like this:

woifi@homer:~ $ sensors
Philips PAL_BG -i2c-2-61
Adapter: bt878 #0 [sw]

MSP3410D-i2c-2-40
Adapter: bt878 #0 [sw]

eeprom-i2c-2-50
Adapter: bt878 #0 [sw]
Unknown EEPROM type (0)

w83627hf-isa-0290
Adapter: ISA adapter
VCore 1:   +1.74 V  (min =  +1.76 V, max =  +1.94 V)       ALARM
VCore 2:   +1.25 V  (min =  +1.76 V, max =  +1.94 V)
+3.3V:     +3.22 V  (min =  +3.14 V, max =  +3.47 V)
+5V:       +4.87 V  (min =  +4.76 V, max =  +5.24 V)
+12V:     +12.71 V  (min = +10.82 V, max = +13.19 V)
-12V:     -12.77 V  (min = -13.18 V, max = -10.80 V)
-5V:       -5.55 V  (min =  -5.25 V, max =  -4.75 V)
V5SB:      +5.51 V  (min =  +4.76 V, max =  +5.24 V)
VBat:      +3.17 V  (min =  +2.40 V, max =  +3.60 V)
fan1:        0 RPM  (min = 3199 RPM, div = 2)
fan2:        0 RPM  (min = 3040 RPM, div = 2)
fan3:        0 RPM  (min = 13500 RPM, div = 2)
temp1:       +25°C  (high =   +15°C, hyst =    -3°C)   sensor = thermistor 
temp2:     +32.5°C  (high =   +80°C, hyst =   +75°C)   sensor = thermistor 
temp3:     -46.0°C  (high =   +80°C, hyst =   +75°C)   sensor = thermistor 
vid:      +1.850 V
alarms:   Chassis intrusion detection                      ALARM
beep_enable:
          Sound alarm disabled

eeprom-i2c-0-51
Adapter: SMBus Via Pro adapter at 0400
Memory type:            DDR SDRAM DIMM
Memory size (MB):       256

eeprom-i2c-0-50
Adapter: SMBus Via Pro adapter at 0400
Memory type:            DDR SDRAM DIMM
Memory size (MB):       256

hth

woifi

[Rule]

well I did see some failures maybe thats why, i'm on an Averatec 6100 laptop. I also noticed in my bios it doesnt even tell me the temps

EDIT: when I try to run sensors-dectect and hit enter a few time I get

 Sorry, no chips were detected.
 Either your sensors are not supported, or they are
 connected to an I2C bus adapter that we do not support.
 See doc/FAQ, doc/lm_sensors-FAQ.html, or
 http://www2.lm-sensors.nu/~lm78/cvs/lm_sensors2/doc/lm_sensors-FAQ.html
 (FAQ #4.24.3) for further information.
 If you find out what chips are on your board, see
 http://secure.netroedge.com/~lm78/newdrivers.html for driver status.

also I attatched some of the errors I got before

[barbarian]

eeprom-i2c-0-51
Adapter: SiS96x SMBus adapter at 0x0c00
Memory type: DDR SDRAM DIMM
Memory size (MB): 256

eeprom-i2c-0-50
Adapter: SiS96x SMBus adapter at 0x0c00
Memory type: DDR SDRAM DIMM
Memory size (MB): 256


The same output for me..

Adapter: SMBus Via Pro adapter at 5000
Memory type: DDR SDRAM DIMM
Memory size (MB): 256

eeprom-i2c-0-50
Adapter: SMBus Via Pro adapter at 5000
Memory type: DDR SDRAM DIMM
Memory size (MB): 256

[barbarian]

Noob qestion, but could You notice which place should I put mkdev.sh? usr/share/lmsensors?

[emperor]

Noob qestion, but could You notice which place should I put mkdev.sh? usr/share/lmsensors?

You are just going to run the "mkdev.sh" file once, prior to executing sensors-detect.

I put the script file in a sub-directory in my home directory. However, for permanent storage, it can be put almost anywhere you have prev's.

[barbarian]

Ok, thanx, I'll give a try once more..