[ltp] Is it OK for Thinkpad users to install lm_sensors?

Michael Grice linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org
Fri, 5 Nov 2004 13:16:48 -0600


* James PEARSON <pearson4j@wanadoo.fr> [041105 13:05] wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> I am a new ThinkPad user and I miss not having "gkrellm" up and running.
> 
> I am hesitating, however, to install it on my ThinkPad as my search
> efforts on the Web I have goggled up the following (abit "dated")
> comments:
>  ..."WARNING: IBM ThinkPad users should not install lm_sensors!
> The eeprom of some IBM ThinkPad has been corrupted after
> installing lm_sensors.
> 
> This problem has been reported on the following machines:
>  ThinkPad 770X
>  ThinkPad 600E
>  ThinkPad 770Z
>  ThinkPad 600X
>  ThinkPad 240
> (TP240 message is "0188: Invalid RFID Serialization Area")
>  ThinkPad X20
>  ThinkPad 570E"
> 
> SOURCE: http://www.linux-thinkpad.org/
> 
> So here aremy questions are:
> 
> So are any of you using "gkrellm" and " lm_sensors" on their Thinkpads?
> If so what models?
> 
> Am I playing fire if I use  "gkrellm" and " lm_sensors"?
> 
> For info...
> I have an T40(23738CG) with the latest BIOS update. I use SuSE 9.1
> (anxiously waiting for SuSE 9.2)

I think that the latest versions of lm_sensors skip the test that had
been corrupting Thinkpads. In fact, I beieve lm_sensors skips it if it
can determine that IBM is the manufacturer. This was my experience on an
IBM server in our test lab (i.e., I had sylog messages about how it was
skipping this or that because lm_sensors detected that it was an IBM,
etc.).

Having said that, well, I'm not certain it won't damage your ;aptop,
so anything you try is at your own risk, etc.  
--Michael