Michael your dell (unlike every other machine being discussed here) uses software fan control, using the kernel i8k driver. There are several usermode tools to control the fans automatically and keep the temperatures lower on these machines both under linux and windows. Lots of folks have issues on these machines and run the usermode tools to keep them cooler. One of them is called dellfand. Search and you will find issues with the i8k driver have been discussed at length for years (well before ubuntu came onto the scene). In nearly all cases these issues stem from hardware problems (some of them inherent design problems) even if you can work around them with a bandaid fix with software tools.
James -- Ubuntu 9.04 laptop overheat and shutdown https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/370173 You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
