Have you tried the i8kutils solution?
1) Install i8ktuils:
sudo apt-get install i8kutils
2) Add i8k line into /etc/modules:
sudo nano /etc/modules
and add a new line containing just:
i8k
3) Make sure the module is loaded at startup.
sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/options.conf
and add a new line containing:
options i8k force=1
4) Reboot and run the following command:
sudo modprobe i8k force=1
5) Create a configuration file (There is none in a clean system. Please, mind that prior to 12.04 the file had no .conf extension and this «feature» may get changed back in any later release):
sudo nano /etc/i8kmon.conf
Enter the following lines:
# Run as daemon, override with --daemon option
set config(daemon) 0
# Automatic fan control, override with --auto option
set config(auto) 1
# Report status on stdout, override with --verbose option
set config(verbose) 1
# Status check timeout (seconds), override with --timeout option
set config(timeout) 1
# Temperature thresholds: {fan_speeds low_ac high_ac low_batt high_batt}
set config(0) {{-1 0} -1 55 -1 55}
set config(1) {{-1 1} 55 70 55 70}
set config(3) {{-1 2} 70 128 70 128}
# For computer with 2 fans, use a variant of this instead:
# Temperature thresholds: {fan_speeds low_ac high_ac low_batt high_batt}
# set config(0) {{-1 0} -1 52 -1 65}
# set config(1) {{-1 1} 41 66 55 75}
# set config(2) {{-1 1} 55 80 65 85}
# set config(3) {{-1 2} 70 128 75 128}
6) Make sure there is /etc/default/i8kmon file and that it contains a line reading ENABLED=1
7) Make sure there is /etc/default/i8buttons file and that it contains a line reading ENABLED=1
8) If all the previous steps did not help, the versions of the «tk8.X» and «tcl8.X» libraries installed may be too old. The following commands worked for me, but I remember the 8.5 versions were installed manually by me instead of 8.4 some time ago. Hence, there may be 8.4, not the 8.5 versions in your system still:
sudo apt-get remove tk8.5 tcl8.5
sudo apt-get install tk8.6 tcl8.6
sudo apt-get install i8kutils
9) You may have to repeat editing /etc/default/i8buttons (please, see clause 7).
10) Reboot
