Ubuntu: Take actions when system temperature gets too high

Question

One of the CPU fans on my Compaq Presario laptop running Ubuntu 9.10 seems to have bit the dust. The fan is deep within the case and I intend to replace the laptop in the next 6 months so it's not worth replacing it. I have the laptop on a cooling pad and most of the time the system is fine, CPU temps around 90°-110°F. Occasionally, however, I'm seeing random lockups which I believe is due to the system overheating. How can I configure the system to:

1. Lower the CPU speed when the temperature reaches a certain level? (I.E. >110°F)
2. Shutdown the system when the tempature reaches a critical level? (And what would that be? >130°?)

Answer 1

Use computertemp:

http://computertemp.berlios.de/

The last screenshot is exactly what you want (actions upon alarm):

http://computertemp.berlios.de/screenshots.php

As far as your goals:

(1) Adjusting CPU frequency: http://www.linux.it/~malattia/wiki/index.php/Cpufreqd (trigger this with a computertemp alarm)

(2) Clean shutdown at upper-limit temp: "shutdown -h now" as your triggered command

You might also need lm-sensors installed (or not, read the computertemp docs).

You can add it to your panel:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=805702

Finally, I feel compelled to suggest buying a MacBook or MacBook Pro as your next laptop.

Answer 2

I dont know for number 1 but for number 2 you can configure this in BIOS.