Unable to Control Fans After Updating to 6.17.5-arch1-1

General system Kernel, boot, graphics & hardware
1

Hello,

Approximately one month ago I updated my system. Before the update, it was working fine. I was on kernel version 6.15.8-arch1-1.

I updated to kernel version 6.17.5-arch1-1. For whatever reason, I started having issues controlling my fans with CoolerControl. I posted a support ticket to the CoolerControl and we have concluded that:

Before the update, my system was only loading the dell_smm driver. With only this driver loaded, controlling my fans worked perfectly. After updating, alienware_smm driver started to also load. So now I have both dell_smm and alienware_smm drivers loading for the same hardware. Controlling fans no longer works.

I did not set either of them to load. I have not altered anything to cause a change in the loading of these drivers. We suspect that something changed on your side. What changed, what is the reason, and how are these modules loaded?

Thanks!

System Specs 
                     ./o.                   omni@omni-dellg155515
                   ./sssso-                 ---------------------
                 `:osssssss+-               OS: EndeavourOS x86_64
               `:+sssssssssso/.             Host: Dell G15 5515 (1.18.0)
             `-/ossssssssssssso/.           Kernel: Linux 6.17.5-arch1-1
           `-/+sssssssssssssssso+:`         Uptime: 3 days, 3 hours, 14 mins
         `-:/+sssssssssssssssssso+/.        Packages: 1647 (pacman), 18 (flatpak-system), 16 (flatpak-user)
       `.://osssssssssssssssssssso++-       Shell: zsh 5.9
      .://+ssssssssssssssssssssssso++:      Display (F156P1): 1920x1080 in 16", 60 Hz [External]
    .:///ossssssssssssssssssssssssso++:     Display (CMN1522): 1920x1080 in 16", 120 Hz [Built-in] *
  `:////ssssssssssssssssssssssssssso+++.    DE: KDE Plasma 6.5.0
`-////+ssssssssssssssssssssssssssso++++-    WM: KWin (Wayland)
 `..-+oosssssssssssssssssssssssso+++++/`    WM Theme: Breeze
   ./++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++/:.      Theme: Breeze (Dark) [Qt], Breeze-Dark [GTK2], Breeze [GTK3/4]
  `:::::::::::::::::::::::::------``        Icons: breeze-dark [Qt], breeze-dark [GTK2/3/4]
                                            Font: Noto Sans (10pt) [Qt], Noto Sans (10pt) [GTK2/3/4]
                                            Cursor: breeze (24px)
                                            Terminal: konsole 25.8.2
                                            Terminal Font: JetBrainsMono Nerd Font Mono (10pt, SemiBold)
                                            CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H (16) @ 4.46 GHz
                                            GPU 1: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile [Discrete]
                                            GPU 2: AMD Radeon Vega Series / Radeon Vega Mobile Series [Integrated]
                                            Memory: 8.86 GiB / 22.82 GiB (39%)
                                            Swap: 24.00 KiB / 8.00 GiB (0%)
                                            Disk (/): 43.09 GiB / 78.19 GiB (55%) - ext4
                                            Disk (/home): 208.64 GiB / 828.21 GiB (25%) - ext4
                                            Battery (0x4D,0x31,0x36,0x48,0x69,0x03,0x03): 100% [AC Connected]
                                            Locale: en_US.UTF-8
2

The current version is linux 6.17.8.arch1-1, so your system is not fully updated.

Please update to the latest available packages in the repositories.

3

Hey,

The issue with updating is that it adds another variable in this. If that does not fix it, or makes the issue worse, it will be difficult to return to the current state.
This seems to be an issue more related to drivers loading when they shouldn’t. This could be something related to the kernel or endeavour or etc..

Thanks

4

Unless you have a fully updated system, you wouldn’t know if the issue you are experiencing has been resolved or not.

I cannot see why troubleshooting on a fully updated system would be that harder than troubleshooting the same issue on a system which is weeks behind in updates. I should think that the latter is harder and less convenient.

In any Arch (-based) forum, they would ask you to update the system first.

5

Off the top of my head, I can suggest a couple of things to try:

  1. rerun sudo sensors-detect
  2. blacklist the alienware_smm module
  3. try the LTS kernel

Since the 6.17 kernel branch added this module, you may also have to reconfigure coolercontrold to use the new modules (if you did not choose option #2).

6

Thanks for the reply,

I meant alienware_wmi, not alienware_smm. Sorry!

We’re trying to understand what changed and why the alienware_wmi module began to suddenly start loading. What changed and why was it was changed?
Blacklisting the module, assuming it fixes the issue, wouldn’t fix the root cause, which is what we are trying to figure out. A workaround has the risk of breaking in the future, so if we could address the root cause, that would help determine the correct fix from that. Even if it doesn’t break, there is also a risk of the workaround breaking something else.
So, would you happen to know what changed for the alienware_wmi driver for it to start loading and why it was changed?

Again, I appreciate the help

7

It was added as part of the 6.17 kernel: https://docs.kernel.org/wmi/devices/alienware-wmi.html

8

Do you mean endeavourOS began to load the module for kernel versions 6.17 and up, or that it was added to the actual Linux kernel in version 6.17?
From what I’m aware of (I may be wrong), alienware_wmi was added a few years ago to the Linux kernel.

9

EndeavourOS has nothing to do with this. Check out fd alienware /lib/modules; you’ll see all of the alienware modules for the various kernels, none of which are changed by EOS (or Arch, for that matter).

New kernel modules are added, old one are removed all the time by the kernel devs.