Edits to /etc/sysctl.conf doesn't load on reboot.

francoisyang

I recently installed PFsense on an older Checkpoint UTM and it works great, except that the fan is way loud.
I bought an inline fan controller since there's no bios settings to tune it down and its great, but I if the temp gets above 50C, the system throttles the CPU to like 75mhz out of the 600 mhz.
if I keep the temp below 50C then the systems utilizes the full 600mhz.

Running;
sysctl hw.acpi.thermal

I get;
hw.acpi.thermal.min_runtime: 0
hw.acpi.thermal.polling_rate: 10
hw.acpi.thermal.user_override: 1
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0.temperature: 48.0C
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0.active: -1
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0.passive_cooling: 1
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0.thermal_flags: 0
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._PSV: 50.0C
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._HOT: -1
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._CRT: 60.0C
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._ACx: 50.0C -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._TC1: 4
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._TC2: 3
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._TSP: 60

I added these lines to /etc/sysctl.conf and sysctl.conf.local;
hw.acpi.thermal.user_override=1
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._PSV=60C
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._CRT=70C

The goal would be to increase the temp when the CPU throttling would kick in from 50C to 60C.
that way I can turn then fan speed down a bit more and not worry about the throttling.

running the commands manually works.
sysctl hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._PSV=60C
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._PSV: 60.0C -> 60.0C

If I reboot, the settings goes back to 50C.

If I load the sysctl script /etc/rc.d/sysctl;
/etc/rc.d/sysctl start
it takes the new settings.

hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._PSV: 60.0C
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._HOT: -1
hw.acpi.thermal.tz0._CRT: 70.0C

Again if I reboot. the settings are lost again.
I thought that Freebsd ran the scripts in the /etc/rc.d directory at boot time.
I don't understand why it doesn't load the settings at boot but works when I manually set it.

I've been Googling for 2 days and running out of ideas.
Anyone know what I'm missing?

thanks.

wallabybob

@francoisyang:

Anyone know what I'm missing?

pfSense regenerates a number of system configuration files from its own master config file. You need to add those entries through the web GUI at System -> Advanced, click on the System Tunables tab.

francoisyang

Thank You…that worked.
I knew I was missing something. :)

Thanks again.