sensors-detect

sensors-detect

sensors-detect is a Perl script that helps to automatically detect hardware monitoring chips (like temperature sensors, fan speed controllers, and voltage regulators) present in your system. It probes various I2C/SMBus addresses and chipset configurations to identify supported chips.

The script is interactive, asking the user questions about whether to probe specific addresses or load certain kernel modules. It generates the necessary configuration lines for the /etc/modules file to load the appropriate kernel modules at boot, enabling sensor monitoring with tools like sensors.

The script might not detect all sensors. It relies on a database of known chips and configurations. Manual configuration might be necessary in some cases. Incorrectly answering questions can cause kernel modules to be loaded unnecessarily or prevent detection of some sensors. It requires root privileges to function correctly.

The output of sensors-detect typically modifies the /etc/modules file (or equivalent, depending on the distribution). It suggests modules to load at boot time, enabling sensor chips. You might need to restart your system or manually load the modules using modprobe to activate the sensors after running the script.

If sensors-detect fails to detect a sensor you believe is present, you can try manually probing specific I2C/SMBus addresses using i2cdetect and then attempting to load the appropriate kernel module using modprobe. The lm-sensors documentation and online forums are valuable resources for troubleshooting.

Running sensors-detect requires root privileges because it needs to access hardware resources and modify system configuration files. Running it without sufficient permissions will result in errors.

sensors-detect is part of the lm-sensors project, which has been under development for many years. It was created to simplify the process of configuring sensor monitoring, which was previously a manual and often complex task. The script has been updated and improved over time to support new sensor chips and improve detection accuracy. It's a fundamental part of the lm-sensors ecosystem.

sensors(1), modprobe(8), i2cdetect(1), lm-sensors.conf(5)