T70 Linux fan control?

[jlee]

For some reason, when I'm running linux and i use lm_sensors, it doesn't seem to detect the fan at all or its fan speed. any help here is appreciated.

[Utwig]

It probably has something to do with kernel and modules. How late or recent kernel are you running?

[jlee]

You own a T70 as well? For reference, i'm using kernel 4.18.5. The x62 also seemed to have this problem.

[Utwig]

No, I'm running Linux on T420s and sensor (as SUSE calls lm-sensors) work.

~> sensors                                                                                       
coretemp-isa-0000                                                                                             
Adapter: ISA adapter                                                                                          
Package id 0:  +55.0°C  (high = +86.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)                                                     
Core 0:        +54.0°C  (high = +86.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)                                                     
Core 1:        +54.0°C  (high = +86.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)                                                     
                                                                                                              
acpitz-virtual-0                                                                                              
Adapter: Virtual device                                                                                       
temp1:        +56.0°C  (crit = +98.0°C)                                                                       
                                                                                                              
thinkpad-isa-0000                                                                                             
Adapter: ISA adapter                                                                                          
fan1:        4024 RPM    

See this and other results for lm-sensors not working. You have new kernel (not 3.x or 2.x) so you should have the drivers for new hardware.
https://askubuntu.com/questions/748615/ ... -temp-it87

[jlee]

Thanks, i'm not sure it'll help. I talked to one of the guys who built the motherboard directly and they said it's controlled by an EC, so software doesn't even touch it.

[ajkula66]

I talked to one of the guys who built the motherboard directly and they said it's controlled by an EC, so software doesn't even touch it.

The fan is always controlled by EC by default, that's not the problem.

When dealing with custom hardware, the chances are that standard fan controls - be it in Windows or *nix environment - will fail to communicate with the system. I went through this with the T50.

If some of the guys over there on 51nb are *nix buffs, I'm certain that they could mod the "standard" fan utilities to recognize the board/BIOS/EC.