[SOLVED] CPU fan

jerk-o · 2017-08-27 19:00:06

If I'm using the Cinnamon desktop in Debian 9 my cpu fan turns on whenever I play Borderlands 2 but if I'm using Bunsenlabs Helium the cpu fan doesn't turn on when I'm playing.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2017-08-28 22:11:40)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-08-27 19:04:56

Yay!

BL-He 1, Debian stretch 0

]:D

Do you have a recent Intel graphics card?

If so, try installing firmware-misc-nonfree in your Debian system, Skylake cards need the firmware blobs to work properly.

Note: as you have not mentioned overheating in your BunsenLabs system then I am presuming that the fan not being on is a good thing rather than a bug, please correct me if I am mistaken.

tknomanzr · 2017-08-27 19:23:40

Bunsenlabs is not capable of spinning my fans up through normal usage. By that I mean, through normal useage, it consumes hardly any ram and cpu useage is barely a blip on one of 12 virtual core (6 physical). Windows 10 even runs nicely on it, lol. I get on other Windows 10 machines and I am like, OMG how do people live with this?

jerk-o · 2017-08-28 00:58:36

Correction: having the fan not turn on while playing Borderlands is a bad thing. Sorry about that. The recommended cpu for Borderlands 2 is a quad-core cpu, so it heats up quite a bit while playing.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-08-28 10:50:31

Borderlands needs a discrete GPU, right?

Much as I love the awesome work of the nouveau team, I don't think that driver will cut it for modern FPS games

What is your graphics hardware?

lspci -knn | grep -iA2 'vga\|3d'

jerk-o · 2017-08-28 17:31:33

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0126] (rev 09)
	Subsystem: Lenovo 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [17aa:21ce]
	Kernel driver in use: i915
--
00:16.3 Serial controller [0700]: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family KT Controller [8086:1c3d] (rev 04)
	Subsystem: Lenovo 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family KT Controller [17aa:21ce]
	Kernel driver in use: serial

Mod Note: please use code tags when posting terminal output, thanks!
-HoaS

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2017-08-28 17:46:57)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-08-28 17:45:56

Well, it looks like your hardware is quite old and only has an integrated card, is that correct?

I am surprised that there is a difference between stretch & Helium as they both use the same graphics stack for the hardware you have listed (apart from our inclusion of the Intel DDX driver but that isn't used for 3D games).

There is the option of the thinkfan package, guide here:

http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=118734

But that is usually employed to reduce the fan speed rather than increase it.

Is your processor showing more usage in BL-He or is it just that the fan doesn't turn on (or both)?

EDIT: try this:

sudo apt install mesa-vulkan-drivers

It is unlikely to fix things but I am interested to know for sure.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2017-08-28 17:48:55)

jerk-o · 2017-08-28 18:17:05

Ok, I'll try that, but the problem is that my cpu fan is turning on while playing if I'm using the Cinnamon desktop, but the cpu fan isn't turning on while playing if I'm using Bunsenlabs Helium.

damo · 2017-08-28 18:35:28

^ What are the actual cpu temperatures, and are they reasonable?

Run 'sensors' (from the lm-sensors package) to display temps, or use a conky to show them on the desktop.

jerk-o · 2017-08-28 18:42:54

Adapter: ISA adapter
Physical id 0: +45.0°C (high = +86.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 0: +44.0°C (high = +86.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)
Core 1: +45.0°C (high = +86.0°C, crit = +100.0°C)

I also ran 'sensors' after playing Borderlands 2 for a while in Bunsenlabs and the temp was 90 C.

tknomanzr · 2017-08-28 19:43:58

At 100, your system will shutdown to protect the cpu. I am actually really suprised that Borderlands would run at all on an intel chipset. So the fans were not spinning up when your cpu temp was at 90? They should be pretty close to max at that temp.

jerk-o · 2017-08-28 22:06:16

Correct, the fans were not spinning at 90. After following the guide posted by Head_on_a_Stick the fans have been working properly. This does sound like something to put into bl-welcome if you know how to check for it. Is there anything I can look at to help with that?

Edit: Yes, Borderlands is running on my Intel chipset. Having the resolution at 800x600 gives me good enough fps to be able to play online with 3 other players and not lag out unless a bunch of status effects go off right in front of me.

Last edited by jerk-o (2017-08-28 22:08:14)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-08-28 22:08:35

jerk-o wrote:

After following the guide posted by Head_on_a_Stick the fans have been working properly.

Fantastic, thanks for reporting back!

This does sound like something to put into bl-welcome if you know how to check for it. Is there anything I can look at to help with that?

That's a good idea and we will look into it and get back to you if we need more information, thanks again.

*runs off to buy Borderlands* 8o

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2017-08-28 22:09:13)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-08-29 19:25:41

jerk-o wrote:

After following the guide posted by Head_on_a_Stick the fans have been working properly.

If I may: what did you actually have to do to configure the thinkfan package?

The guide I linked says that the systemd .service needs enabling and the kernel module option added, did you do this?

Also, did you have to edit the configuration file or were the stock settings enough?

It would be useful if simply installing the thinkfan package fixed things, is that the case?

I would investigate myself but my ThinkPad has OpenBSD-current occupying the whole drive and I have sworn to leave it there until it dies by it's own hand. That runs consistently 5-10°C cooler than Linux anyway & doesn't need a package to fix things.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2017-08-29 19:29:28)

jerk-o · 2017-08-30 00:49:06

I went through the guide and did every step it said. I don't remember if I edited the config file or not, but I could reinstall bunsenlabs and try it again.

jerk-o · 2017-08-30 04:24:28

Ok, reinstalled Debian using a netinstall cd. Selected just the standard system utilites. Installed the thinkfan package right before downloading and running the helium-netinstall-dev script. Now the fan works.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-08-30 07:03:58

^ Fantastic, thank you very much for the feedback.

I think we may simply add the thinkfan package to our base system, it's only ~100KiB and Debian must include it in their images.

johnraff · 2017-08-30 07:56:42

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

I think we may simply add the thinkfan package to our base system, it's only ~100KiB and Debian must include it in their images.

apt-rdepends --follow=Depends,PreDepends,Recommends cinnamon | grep thinkfan

brought up nothing, but maybe cinnamon provides the same kind of functionality in a different package.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-08-30 19:12:43

The metapackage doesn't install the whole desktop, the task does that:

empty@Diproton:~ $ apt-rdepends --follow=Depends,PreDepends,Recommends task-cinnamon-desktop | grep thinkfan                                                                                                                                                                   
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
1|empty@Diproton:~ $

johnraff wrote:

maybe cinnamon provides the same kind of functionality in a different package.

Must be...

@jerk-o, is the thinkfan package installed in your cinnamon desktop?

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2017-08-30 19:14:54)

jerk-o · 2017-08-31 00:19:48

No, thinkfan is not installed. Also, if I do the command "sudo dmidecode -t 1 | grep Version" I get "Version: ThinkPad T420" so that might be a place to start if bl-welcome is going to check to see if the thinkfan package should be installed.

#1 2017-08-27 19:00:06

[SOLVED] CPU fan

#2 2017-08-27 19:04:56

Re: [SOLVED] CPU fan

#3 2017-08-27 19:23:40

Re: [SOLVED] CPU fan

#4 2017-08-28 00:58:36

Re: [SOLVED] CPU fan

#5 2017-08-28 10:50:31

Re: [SOLVED] CPU fan

#6 2017-08-28 17:31:33

Re: [SOLVED] CPU fan

#7 2017-08-28 17:45:56

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#8 2017-08-28 18:17:05

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#9 2017-08-28 18:35:28

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#10 2017-08-28 18:42:54

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#11 2017-08-28 19:43:58

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#12 2017-08-28 22:06:16

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#13 2017-08-28 22:08:35

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#14 2017-08-29 19:25:41

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#15 2017-08-30 00:49:06

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#16 2017-08-30 04:24:28

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#17 2017-08-30 07:03:58

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#18 2017-08-30 07:56:42

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#19 2017-08-30 19:12:43

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#20 2017-08-31 00:19:48

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