[ltp] lm_sensors

André Wyrwa linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org
Thu, 25 Mar 2004 00:50:00 +0100


>From what i found out when trying to dig into this...

- The problem is the Atmel 24RF08 eeprom chip interpreting some commands
in a faulty way that leads to erasing it.

- It seems that only the sensors-detect script issues the commands that
cause the undesired effect.

- You can find really interesting threads about this through google,
some of them quite detailed and involving the lm_sensors coders and
people seeming to know the specs of this chip quite well. However, none
of them gives any answers to the question which Thinkpads feature this
chip and which don't. Furthermore all of the threads end with open
questions.

- The lm_sensors developers issued this statement at the time they
introduced the get-out:
http://www2.lm-sensors.nu/~lm78/cvs/browse.cgi/lm_sensors2/README.thinkpad

Good luck,
André.


On Mit, 2004-03-24 at 17:45, Mark Houlder wrote:
> this is all from memory so may not be 100% accurate...
> 
> last time i checked, lm_sensors actually had the equivalent of
> 
> if(thinkpad) {
>    exit(0);
> }
> 
> in the code (it's in a README somewhere). it was because of a faulty 
> BIOS or other hardware setup on some thinkpads which, along with system 
> calls made by lm_sensors, could cause the EEPROM of the computer to be 
> wiped (or otherwise damaged). the lm_sensors developers therefore 
> inserted a get-out clause into later versions of lm_sensors to prevent 
> damage for thinkpads.
> 
> whether the most recent lm_sensors still refuses to run on thinkpads, or 
> whether thinkpads themselves still run such a risk of damage, i can't 
> say. ever since running lm_sensors, getting no results and then finding a
> 
> URGENT WARNING FOR THINKPAD USERS: lm_sensors will destroy your laptop!
> 
> post on a mailing list archive somewhere, i haven't bothered with it :)
> 
> 
> mark
> 
> Andrew Gaffney wrote:
> 
> > I've read that it is dangerous to use lm_sensors with a Thinkpad 770 
> > (also 5xx, 6xx, 7xx, 240, etc). Is this still the case? If so, why? Is 
> > there a way around whatever problem it causes?
> >
> 
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