I checked and saw that the pwmfan module was not enabled in the kernel . I enabled it and recompiled . I verified that the module loads on boot however when I run the command pwmconfig I still get this output . ricanlinuxgentoogazelle ~ $ sudo pwmconfig # pwmconfig revision 6166 20130501 This program will search your sensors for pulse width modulation pwm controls , and test each one to see if it controls a fan on your motherboard . Note that many motherboards do not have pwm circuitry installed , even if your sensor chip supports pwm . We will attempt to briefly stop each fan using the pwm controls . The program will attempt to restore each fan to full speed after testing . However , it is very important that you physically verify that the fans have been to full speed after the program has completed . usrsbinpwmconfig There are no pwmcapable sensor modules installed