Not turning on

[MikeC84]

I am having a problem getting this working. I used the tutorial located here...

https://ineed.coffee/3838/a-beginners-tutorial-for-mbpfan-under-ubuntu/

My system is iMac 12,1 Dual boot Mac OSx and Ubuntu 19.04 Kernel 5.0.0-23-generic. Coretemp and applesmc are loaded at boot.

Using mbpfan 2.1.1

Everything went as it should. During make, make install, make tests, I didn't get any errors. After a reboot I am getting an error max_fan_speed value is not 6200.

---

$ sudo mbpfan -f -v
mbpfan[4476]: A previously created .pid file exists at: /var/run/mbpfan.pid. Aborting
ERROR: a previously created .pid file exists at: /var/run/mbpfan.pid.
Aborting

---

sudo mbpfan -t
Starting the tests..
It is normal for them to take a bit to finish.
Error: max_fan_speed value is not 6200
Tests run: 5

-------- My mbpfan.conf

#min_fan1_speed = 2000 # put the lowest value of "cat /sys/devices/platform/applesmc.768/fan*_min"
#max_fan1_speed = 6200 # put the highest value of "cat /sys/devices/platform/applesmc.768/fan*_max"
low_temp = 40 # try ranges 55-63, default is 63
high_temp = 50 # try ranges 58-66, default is 66
max_temp = 70 # take highest number returned by "cat /sys/devices/platform/coretemp./hwmon/hwmon/temp*_max", divide by 1000
polling_interval = 1 # default is 1 seconds

[MikeC84]

When I am inside the source directory I get no errors but when I am outside of the directory I get the max_fan_speed value is not 6200 error. Either way the fans aren't ramping up when the temp heats up. Even when I lower the max temp, It just doesn't do anything..

---- Inside directory

sudo mbpfan -f -v -t
Starting the tests..
It is normal for them to take a bit to finish.
Using new sensor path for kernel >= 3.15.0 or some CentOS versions with kernel 3.10.0
Found hwmon path at /sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon1/temp
Found 5 sensors
Found 3 fans
Using new sensor path for kernel >= 3.15.0 or some CentOS versions with kernel 3.10.0
Found hwmon path at /sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon1/temp
Found 5 sensors
Testing the supplied mbpfan.conf (not the one you are using)..
ALL TESTS PASSED
Tests run: 7

---- Outside directory

sudo mbpfan -f -v -t
Starting the tests..
It is normal for them to take a bit to finish.
Using new sensor path for kernel >= 3.15.0 or some CentOS versions with kernel 3.10.0
Found hwmon path at /sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon1/temp
Found 5 sensors
Found 3 fans
Using new sensor path for kernel >= 3.15.0 or some CentOS versions with kernel 3.10.0
Found hwmon path at /sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon1/temp
Found 5 sensors
Couldn't open configfile, using defaults
Error: max_fan_speed value is not 6200
Tests run: 5

[kyoz]

Same here, on MBP 15 Mid 2015

[dgraziotin]

@gaul I am a little bit out of the loop, but I suspect that this issue is actually just in the tests part and it is because of the new way mbpfan detects min and max value. Is it the case? Should we remove the tests?

[jolupa]

I think that don't making test is ok. I don't run the tests and the software is running smoothly. I changed the temperatures when the fan are activated and it runs just fine... But the tests allways tell me that they fail.
So I think is a good point to disable the tests if the solution is too hard.

[ln0a]

I can confirm the same issue. My fan is not turning on and the test throws the same error. I am running Arch Linux on a Macbook Pro 13,1

[gaul]

Unfortunately I believe the tests only work on MacBooks which have smaller, higher RPM fans. iMac and Mac Pro have larger, lower RPM fans. Running the tests is not required and something the README should not recommend. I changed the README somewhat but it should really suggest running mbpfan -vf and increasing the CPU load to test instead to observe what is happening.

[gaul]

Could you try running with the latest master?

[gpoole]

I was also getting the same error during the test step when trying to install on an Arch system from AUR (v2.2.0.r2.gb21aaa8-1):

Error: max_fan_speed value is not 6200

After building from the latest master (b21aaa8) the tests are all passing.

[Digital-Larry]

I'm having the same apparent issue. I can't tell whether the fan is working, but:
a) I don't hear or feel anything coming from the Mac.
b) The left side by the power input gets really hot.

I'm using an A1278, I believe it is a 2010 13" Macbook Pro.
It has the Intel i5-3210 CPU and 4 GB RAM. I think this makes it a version 9,2.

I'm using Ubuntu Studio 19.10, which has kernel 5.x, which might be the issue as I don't see anything indicating mbpfan was tested on a Kernel 5.x.

I built mbpfan from source, 2.2.1, even though it says "2.2.0" when you run it, but that's a known issue. The most recent source files are dated November 23.

gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$ lsmod | grep applesmc
applesmc               20480  0
input_polldev          20480  1 applesmc
gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$ lsmod | grep coretemp
coretemp               20480  0
gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$

gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$ uname -a
Linux gary-MacBookPro 5.3.0-45-lowlatency #37-Ubuntu SMP PREEMPT Thu Mar 26 21:30:34 UTC 2020 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$

gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$ cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep i5
model name      : Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3210M CPU @ 2.50GHz
model name      : Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3210M CPU @ 2.50GHz
model name      : Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3210M CPU @ 2.50GHz
model name      : Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3210M CPU @ 2.50GHz
gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$

gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$ cat /etc/modules
# /etc/modules: kernel modules to load at boot time.
#
# This file contains the names of kernel modules that should be loaded
# at boot time, one per line. Lines beginning with "#" are ignored.
applesmc
coretmp
gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$

gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$ ps ax | grep mbpfan
  866 ?        Ss     0:05 /usr/sbin/mbpfan -f
 7503 pts/2    S+     0:00 grep --color=auto mbpfan
gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$

gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$ ps ax | grep applesmc
  538 ?        I<     0:00 [applesmc-led]
 7507 pts/2    S+     0:00 grep --color=auto applesmc
gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$

gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$ ps ax | grep coretemp
 7509 pts/2    S+     0:00 grep --color=auto coretemp
gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$

gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$ cat /etc/mbpfan.conf
[general]
# see https://ineed.coffee/3838/a-beginners-tutorial-for-mbpfan-under-ubuntu for the values
#
# mbpfan will load the max / min speed of from the files produced by the applesmc driver. If these files are not found it will set all fans to the default of min_speed = 2000 and max_speed = 6200
# by setting the values for the speeds in this config it will override whatever it finds in:
# /sys/devices/platform/applesmc.768/fan*_min
# /sys/devices/platform/applesmc.768/fan*_max
# or the defaults.
#
# multiple fans can be configured by using the config key of min_fan*_speed and max_fan*_speed
# the number used will correlate to the file number of the fan in the applesmc driver that are used to control the fan speed.
#
#min_fan1_speed = 2000  # put the *lowest* value of "cat /sys/devices/platform/applesmc.768/fan*_min"
#max_fan1_speed = 6200  # put the *highest* value of "cat /sys/devices/platform/applesmc.768/fan*_max"
low_temp = 63                   # try ranges 55-63, default is 63
high_temp = 66                  # try ranges 58-66, default is 66
max_temp = 86                   # take highest number returned by "cat /sys/devices/platform/coretemp.*/hwmon/hwmon*/temp*_max", divide by 1000
polling_interval = 1    # default is 1 seconds
gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1/src$

Maybe coretemp isn't really installed?

Update - I rebuilt, reinstalled, ran tests. Now I get:

gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1$ sudo make tests
make install
make[1]: Entering directory '/home/gary/github/mbpfan-2.2.1'
install -d /usr/sbin
install -d /etc
install -d /lib/systemd/system
install -d /usr/share/doc/mbpfan
install bin/mbpfan /usr/sbin
install -m644 mbpfan.conf /etc
install -m644 README.md /usr/share/doc/mbpfan
install -d /usr/share/man/man8
install -m644 mbpfan.8.gz /usr/share/man/man8

******************
INSTALL COMPLETED
******************

A configuration file has been copied (might overwrite existing file) to /etc/mbpfan.conf.
See README.md file to have mbpfan automatically started at system boot.

Please run the tests now with the command
   sudo make tests

make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/gary/github/mbpfan-2.2.1'
/usr/sbin/mbpfan -f -v -t
Starting the tests..
It is normal for them to take a bit to finish.
Using new sensor path for kernel >= 3.15.0 or some CentOS versions with kernel 3.10.0
Found hwmon path at /sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon4/temp
Found 3 sensors
Found 1 fans
Using new sensor path for kernel >= 3.15.0 or some CentOS versions with kernel 3.10.0
Found hwmon path at /sys/devices/platform/coretemp.0/hwmon/hwmon4/temp
Found 3 sensors
Testing the _supplied_ mbpfan.conf (not the one you are using)..
ALL TESTS PASSED
Tests run: 7
gary@gary-MacBookPro:~/github/mbpfan-2.2.1$

That said, I still can't tell if it's working. My hearing isn't that great and it's raining and unlike my Dell laptop, there's not a vent on the Macbook where hot air obviously comes out. The left side is now warm, not hot. How do I test this?

[JuampiCarosi]

Hello, I installed mbpfan and it worked fine (actually just lowered fans, when it got heaten up it didn't went up again) on ubuntu 18.04 (same imac model) but I freshly installed ubuntu 20.04 and now same issue as mentioned before is happening, the only way of making it work is uninstall and renstall. Also I noticed the process does not appear at task manager

[ashwamegh]

Did anyone found any solution for this?
I am facing the same issue with Arch Linux on my Macbook Pro mid 2010 (7, 1).
The fans are not running I am using any web browser or heavy software.

Please post here 🙏, if you have found any solution. I have installed this package from AUR (mbpfan-git).

[JuampiCarosi]

Idk if this is ot but to fight my issue I wrote a script to control fan speed via terminal

https://github.com/juampapo546/Fan-control

[ashwamegh]

Thanks @juampapo546 I will check that out.

[gaul]

Unfortunately this will require some community contribution since I lack access to test a desktop Mac. If someone can grant me ssh and root access to their machine (unlikely, ha!) I can fix this otherwise I hope someone with the hardware and interest can step forward and volunteer.

[playaspec]

@gaul I have a 5,1 Mac Pro I'd be happy to let you into. There's nothing important on it. I have a couple of derelict iMacs laying around I could load Linux on as well. Could probably scare up a laptop or two as well.

[gaul]

@playaspec Can you email or Twitter DM me from my contact details via my GitHub profile so you can provide login details? Note that it is a bad idea to share these with people you don't know (like me) so I recommend using a temporary key or password. That said, this seems like the fastest and plausible way to fix this issue.