Subject: Re: ACPI warning
To: Steve Woodford <scw@netbsd.org>
From: Perry E.Metzger <perry@piermont.com>
List: current-users
Date: 11/03/2003 08:30:07
Steve Woodford <scw@netbsd.org> writes:
> This is just a heads up for folks who are running acpi-enabled -current
> on laptops for the first time.
>
> Some laptop BIOSs, including my HP Omnibook, hand *complete* control of
> thermal management (i.e. fan control) over to the OS if ACPI is
> utilised; with no failsafe mechanism in hardware. This is a seriously
> dumb hardware design decision, IMHO. But that's just how it is.
>
> So, after enabling ACPI, I suggest checking if your laptop's fan still
> operates as before. Mine certainly doesn't switch on at all with ACPI
> in the kernel, so I've had to revert to non-ACPI rather than risk
> frying the cpu. :(
FYI, the FreeBSD folks have a pretty clean thermal control/fan control
module -- someone should steal it for NetBSD so this problem goes away.
--
Perry E. Metzger perry@piermont.com