# Dell Fan Control - Proxmox 9 / Debian Trixie Compatible

## Overview

This is a **Proxmox 9 / Debian Trixie compatible** version of the Dell R710/R720 fan controller that fixes critical compatibility issues with modern systems. If you've upgraded to Proxmox 9 and your fan control stopped working with pysensors errors, this is the solution you've been looking for.

### 🚨 The Problem
The original fan controller breaks on:
- **Proxmox 9** (Debian Trixie based)
- **Python 3.13+** environments  
- Systems with **updated pysensors** library
- Any modern Debian/Ubuntu installation

### ✅ The Solution
This version eliminates the problematic `pysensors` dependency and uses the reliable `sensors` command directly, providing:
- **100% compatibility** with Proxmox 9 and Debian Trixie
- **No more API breakage** from pysensors updates
- **Simplified installation** with fewer dependencies
- **Better error handling** and safety fallbacks

## Installation

### Quick Install (Recommended)
```bash
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/dell-fan-control-proxmox9.git
cd dell-fan-control-proxmox9
sudo ./install.sh
```

The default installation path is `/opt/fan_control` and the service will be installed as `fan-control.service`.

### Custom Installation Path
```bash
sudo ./install.sh /custom/path
```

### Post-Installation
1. **Edit the configuration:**
   ```bash
   sudo nano /opt/fan_control/fan_control.yaml
   ```

2. **Check the service status:**
   ```bash
   sudo systemctl status fan-control
   ```

3. **Monitor the logs:**
   ```bash
   sudo journalctl -u fan-control.service -f
   ```

## Upgrading from Original Version

If you're upgrading from the original fan controller after a Proxmox 8→9 upgrade:

```bash
# Stop the broken service
sudo systemctl stop fan-control

# Backup your config
sudo cp /opt/fan_control/fan_control.yaml /opt/fan_control/fan_control.yaml.backup

# Clone and install the fixed version
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/dell-fan-control-proxmox9.git
cd dell-fan-control-proxmox9
sudo ./install.sh

# Your configuration will be automatically preserved
```

## Configuration

Edit `/opt/fan_control/fan_control.yaml` to set your temperature thresholds and fan speeds:

```yaml
general:
  debug: false
  interval: 30

hosts:
  - name: MyLocalHost
    hysteresis: 3
    temperatures:
      - 39  # Low temp threshold
      - 45  # Medium temp threshold  
      - 55  # High temp threshold
    speeds:
      - 20  # Fan speed % for low temps
      - 30  # Fan speed % for medium temps
      - 40  # Fan speed % for high temps
```

## What's Changed

### 🔧 Technical Fixes
- **Removed pysensors dependency** - No more API compatibility issues
- **Direct sensors command parsing** - Uses the reliable `sensors` command output
- **Simplified virtual environment** - Only requires PyYAML now
- **Better error handling** - Graceful fallback to automatic mode on errors
- **Improved safety** - Service automatically returns fans to auto mode on failure

### 📦 Installation Improvements  
- **Fewer system dependencies** - No more build tools or dev packages needed
- **Modern Python practices** - Uses `python3 -m venv` instead of legacy virtualenv
- **Better configuration handling** - Preserves existing configs during upgrades
- **Enhanced service file** - Includes resource limits and security hardening

### 🛡️ Safety Enhancements
- **Automatic fallback** - Switches to automatic fan control if temperature reading fails
- **Service restart protection** - Ensures fans return to auto mode if service crashes  
- **Resource limits** - Prevents runaway CPU/memory usage
- **Timeout handling** - Protects against hanging sensor commands

## Compatibility

### ✅ Tested On
- **Proxmox VE 9.x** (Debian Trixie)
- **Debian 13 (Trixie)**
- **Python 3.13+**
- **Dell PowerEdge R710, R720**

### ⚠️ Original Version Issues
The original script fails on modern systems with errors like:
- `ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'yaml'`
- `AttributeError: module 'sensors' has no attribute 'get_detected_chips'`
- `'Chip' object has no attribute 'get_features'`
- Virtual environment corruption after system upgrades

## Troubleshooting

### Service Won't Start
```bash
# Check the logs
sudo journalctl -u fan-control.service -n 50

# Test manually
sudo /opt/fan_control/venv/bin/python3 /opt/fan_control/fan_control.py
```

### No Temperature Readings
```bash
# Check if sensors work
sensors

# Run sensor detection
sudo sensors-detect
# Answer YES to safe probes, then reboot
```

### Fans Still Loud
```bash
# Check if IPMI is working
sudo ipmitool sensor list | grep -i fan

# Verify iDRAC connectivity (if using remote)
sudo ipmitool -I lanplus -H your-idrac-ip -U username -P password sensor list
```

## Credits

This project is based on the excellent work by **[Niccolò Maggioni](https://github.com/nmaggioni)** in the original [r710-fan-controller](https://github.com/nmaggioni/r710-fan-controller) repository.

### Original Author
- **Niccolò Maggioni** - [nmaggioni](https://github.com/nmaggioni)
- Original repository: https://github.com/nmaggioni/r710-fan-controller

### Modifications for Proxmox 9 Compatibility
- **Proxmox 9 compatibility fixes and modern Python support

## License

This project maintains the same license as the original work. Please see the [original repository](https://github.com/nmaggioni/r710-fan-controller) for license details.

## Contributing

Found a bug or have an improvement? Please open an issue or submit a pull request!

### Common Contribution Areas
- Support for additional Dell PowerEdge models
- Enhanced configuration validation
- Additional safety features
- Documentation improvements

## Changelog

### v2.0.0 (Proxmox 9 Compatible)
- **BREAKING**: Removed pysensors dependency  
- **NEW**: Direct sensors command parsing
- **NEW**: Enhanced error handling and safety
- **NEW**: Simplified installation process
- **FIX**: Compatibility with Python 3.13+
- **FIX**: Compatibility with Proxmox 9 / Debian Trixie
- **IMPROVE**: Better configuration preservation during upgrades
- **IMPROVE**: Enhanced systemd service with resource limits

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## ⭐ Star this repo if it saved your ears from screaming fans! ⭐