Ubuntu can monitor CPU and other system temperatures, fan speeds, and other system data using an application called lm-sensors. It can also show this information on your desktop or GNOME panel using one of several other applications. lm-sensor's homepage is http://secure.netroedge.com/~lm78/download.html
Install and Configure lm-sensors
- Install the lm-sensors package
- Run sudo 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 sensors-detect, a list of modules that needs to be loaded will displayed. Type "yes" to have sensors-detect insert those modules into /etc/modules, or edit /etc/modules yourself.
- Next, run "sudo /etc/init.d/module-init-tools restart". This will read the changes you made to /etc/modules in step 3, and insert the new modules into the kernel.
Test lm-sensors
Next, you should test that lm-sensors works correctly. Run the "sensors" command and check the output. Example output is below:
w83627dhg-isa-0290 Adapter: ISA adapter VCore: +1.13 V (min = +0.00 V, max = +1.74 V) in1: +11.30 V (min = +0.90 V, max = +0.05 V) ALARM AVCC: +3.28 V (min = +2.11 V, max = +2.40 V) ALARM 3VCC: +3.28 V (min = +2.05 V, max = +0.37 V) ALARM in4: +1.41 V (min = +0.00 V, max = +1.57 V) in5: +1.65 V (min = +0.02 V, max = +0.14 V) ALARM in6: +4.45 V (min = +3.28 V, max = +1.64 V) ALARM VSB: +3.28 V (min = +0.14 V, max = +3.07 V) ALARM VBAT: +3.22 V (min = +2.06 V, max = +1.02 V) ALARM Case Fan: 0 RPM (min = 2636 RPM, div = 128) ALARM CPU Fan: 1117 RPM (min = 1591 RPM, div = 8) ALARM Aux Fan: 0 RPM (min = 1171 RPM, div = 128) ALARM fan5: 0 RPM (min = 659 RPM, div = 128) ALARM Sys Temp: +31.0°C (high = +18.0°C, hyst = +96.0°C) sensor = thermistor CPU Temp: +33.0°C (high = +80.0°C, hyst = +75.0°C) sensor = diode AUX Temp: +124.5°C (high = +80.0°C, hyst = +75.0°C) ALARM sensor = thermistor cpu0_vid: +1.163 V coretemp-isa-0000 Adapter: ISA adapter Core 0: +43.0°C (high = +82.0°C, crit = +100.0°C) coretemp-isa-0001 Adapter: ISA adapter Core 1: +43.0°C (high = +82.0°C, crit = +100.0°C) coretemp-isa-0002 Adapter: ISA adapter Core 2: +40.0°C (high = +82.0°C, crit = +100.0°C) coretemp-isa-0003 Adapter: ISA adapter Core 3: +43.0°C (high = +82.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
This sensors output shows four devices: w83627dhg-isa-0290 (motherboard sensors) and coretemp-isa-0000 through 0004 (Intel Core sensors). The motherboard sensor device has information on the voltages received from the power supply unit by the motherboard (in1-6), the fan speeds (entries with RPM), and various internal temperatures. As you can see, some sensors are obviously incorrect (e.g. AUX Temp and Case/Aux Fan); this tends to be the case with at least some of the sensors on most motherboards.
The sensor output may be tweaked by editing the "/etc/sensors.conf" file. It is possible to correct inaccurate scaling too. For details check "man sensors.conf".
Get Sensor Information Displayed on your Desktop
Search Synaptic for either "sensors" to bring up a list of sensor-related applications, including xsensors, ksensors, and sensors-applet.
ksensors
Ksensors seems to work better for many people, and be easier to configure. Install the ksensors package. Start it from terminal with ksensors, and you should be able to choose which temperature, fan RPM, or other displays you want.
To get Ksensors to start when your computer starts, go System menu --> Preferences --> Sessions, and in the last tab, Startup Programs, add ksensors. (or whichever sensors display program you choose to use).
sensors-applet
For a GNOME alternative, you can apt-get or Synaptic search/install of "sensors-applet", a GNOME panel applet that displays temperatures and fan speeds from lm-sensors.
During installation, you'll be presented with the option to start the hddtemp daemon at startup. Choose "no" here if there was a sensor detected previously that reports your hard drive temperature, otherwise choose "yes".
After installation, you can right click on any panel that you want to have sensor information displayed on, and click "Add to Panel...". In the "Add to Panel" window, there should be a icon with the text "Hardware Sensors Monitor". Click on this entry, then click "Add". You can change the applet's settings by right-clicking on the applet and choosing "Preferences".
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