Configuring lm_sensors

Lm_sensors provides tools for monitoring the hardware health of Linux systems. It supports monitoring the temperature of the CPU and Motherboard, the fans' RPMs in the system, and the voltage of the system.

You need the lm_sensors package. Gentoo users can just do: emerge lm_sensors, but remember to enable i2c in our kernel. Please note!: there are different settings whether you run a 2.4.x series kernel or 2.6.x. The following examples enables hardware monitoring support on my Asus A7V motherboard, to find which sensors exists in you system, run sensors-detect as root.

Device Drivers  --->
    I2C support  --->
        <M> I2C support
	<M>   I2C device interface
              I2C Algorithms  --->
	          <M> I2C PCF 8584 interfaces
	      I2C Hardware Bus support  --->
	          <M> VIA 82C596/82C686/823x
	      Hardware Sensors Chip support  --->
	          <M> Winbond W83781D, W83782D, W83783S, W83627HF, Asus AS99127F

Code listing 1.1

Enable as	Setting Name
Character devices → I2C support
M	I2C support
M	I2C bit-banging interfaces
Y	I2C mainboard interfaces
M	VIA Technologies, Inc. VT596A/B
M	Pseudo ISA adapter
M	I2C device interface
M	I2C /proc interface
Character devices → Hardware sensors support
Y	Hardware sensors support
M	Winbond W83781D...

Table 1.1 : Settings to enable sensors in the 2.4.x series kernel

If you are unsure which sensors you have, run sensors-detect as root.
Finally you can/have to customize your /etc/sensors.conf (sensors.conf for Asus A7V) to fit your system.

To load the setting at every boot, you can add a line to /etc/rc.d/rc.local:

For more information:

Nice page, with more information
Freshmeat search for hardware sensors

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