❓ FAQ

Should I use Liquid or CPU as a temperature source to control my pump/fans?
Quick answer: Liquid
In most setups, liquid temperature changes more slowly than CPU temperature, producing smoother and quieter control. That said, choose what works best for your hardware and noise/thermal goals.

Which CPU or GPU temperature should I use for my fan profile?
When multiple sensors are available for your CPU or GPU, use the primary sensor (highlighted first in the UI) as the default for fan control. You can use the others as needed for specialized profiles.

Where are my motherboard fans?
Make sure you've followed the steps for motherboards in Hardware Support.

The GUI starts but says it can't connect to the daemon. What to do?
Try reloading the systemd daemon files and starting the daemon again:
bash
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart coolercontrold.service
# verify the running status with:
sudo systemctl status coolercontrold.service
If it's not running, grab the error message (you can access the logs in the UI or with journalctl -u coolercontrold) and create an issue in GitLab. If it is running but you still can't establish a connection, try a system restart.

I have an issue with X, what do I do?
Joining the Discord server is a good way to get quick help for something not covered in the documentation or to suggest future features. Otherwise, opening an issue in GitLab is the best way to get something fixed.

How do I make the CoolerControl Desktop App start on login?
There are several ways to do this and is different for each Desktop Environment, but some examples are:
GNOME: Gnome Tweaks -> Startup Applications
KDE: System Settings -> Startup and Shutdown -> Autostart

How do I start the CoolerControl Desktop App in the System Tray?
On the CoolerControl settings page, enable Desktop -> Start in Tray.

What does the Default Profile do?
This depends on the device specifics.
For hwmon devices, setting a fan to the Default Profile enables automatic/BIOS control.
For liquidctl devices, it disables CoolerControl control for that fan.

My fan moves up and down in steps, why?
Some fans operate in discrete steps (e.g., ThinkPad models), so the reported duty/RPM will snap to the nearest supported step. This is a hardware limitation, not a CoolerControl issue.

My device has showed up twice in the UI. Is this bad?
Some devices have both liquidctl and hwmon drivers.
Important: Choose one and disable/blacklist the other to avoid double-requesting data and potential device communication errors.
Often liquidctl offers additional features like RGB control, while the hwmon driver may be more performant. Choose what works best for your setup. If you're unsure, prefer the driver that shows "Driver Type: Kernel" in the driver info popup.

How do I manually test my hwmon driver?

bash

# determine the location for your particular device:
find /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon*/ -type f -name "name" -print -exec cat {} \;

# find the directory above that belongs to the device name you're looking for. 
# we'll use /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon4 in the rest of this example, but it can also change after a reboot.
# output the directory's contents to view available sysfs files:
ls -lh /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon4

Other examples:

bash

# read all pwm fan values:
find /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon4/ -type f -name "pwm?" -print -exec cat {} \;

# read all fan rpm values:
find /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon4/ -type f -name "fan?_input" -print -exec cat {} \;

# enable manual mode for fan1: (if present for your hardware)
echo 1 | sudo tee /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon4/pwm1_enable

# set a high pwm value (0-255):
echo 230 | sudo tee /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon4/pwm1

# when done, reset to automatic mode:
echo 2 | sudo tee /sys/class/hwmon/hwmon4/pwm1_enable

❓ FAQ ​

❓ FAQ