freeipmi

Install

# RHEL / Alma / Rocky
sudo dnf install freeipmi

# Debian / Ubuntu
sudo apt install freeipmi

# openSUSE
sudo zypper install freeipmi

# Arch
sudo pacman -S freeipmi

What it is

FreeIPMI is a suite of commands (not a single tool) for working with IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface). It can query sensors, power state, event logs (SEL), FRU inventory, and more — either locally via /dev/ipmi*, or remotely over the network to a BMC.

Core tools you’ll actually use

• ipmi-sensors — read hardware sensors (temps, fans, voltages).
• ipmi-sel — view/clear System Event Log (SEL).
• ipmi-fru — view Field Replaceable Unit inventory (serials, part numbers).
• ipmi-chassis — chassis/power state queries, identify LED (varies by platform).
• ipmi-dcmi — DCMI power/thermal data (if supported).
• ipmi-raw — send raw IPMI commands (advanced / risky).

How it works (mechanical)

• Local mode: talks to the kernel IPMI driver via /dev/ipmi0 / /dev/ipmi/0.
• Remote mode: connects to the BMC over LAN (usually UDP 623) using IPMI-over-LAN.
• Requires valid BMC credentials for remote access.
• Output varies by vendor and what sensors/events the firmware exposes.
• Some operations require elevated privileges (root) in local mode.

Quick Start

# Local sensors (if IPMI kernel modules are present)
sudo ipmi-sensors

# Remote sensors (BMC over LAN)
ipmi-sensors -h 192.0.2.10 -u ADMIN -p 'PASSWORD'

10 Practical Examples

# 1) Check if IPMI device nodes exist (local)
ls -l /dev/ipmi* /dev/ipmi/* 2>/dev/null

# 2) Load common kernel modules (local, if needed)
sudo modprobe ipmi_si
sudo modprobe ipmi_devintf
sudo modprobe ipmi_msghandler

# 3) Read sensors locally
sudo ipmi-sensors

# 4) Read sensors remotely (LAN)
ipmi-sensors -h 192.0.2.10 -u ADMIN -p 'PASSWORD'

# 5) Show System Event Log (SEL)
sudo ipmi-sel

# 6) Clear SEL (do this only when you’ve archived/recorded it)
sudo ipmi-sel --clear

# 7) Show FRU inventory (serials/PNs, if available)
sudo ipmi-fru

# 8) Show chassis/power status (platform support varies)
sudo ipmi-chassis --get-status

# 9) DCMI power reading (if supported by BMC)
sudo ipmi-dcmi --get-power-reading

# 10) Script-friendly sensor view (pipe to grep/sort)
sudo ipmi-sensors | grep -iE 'temp|fan|volt' | head

Notes & Gotchas

• Security: Use strong BMC passwords; prefer isolated management networks/VLANs.
• Different vendors label sensors differently; “N/A” sensors are common.
• If remote access fails, check: BMC IP, firewall, UDP 623, and IPMI LAN enabled.
• Local access may require kernel IPMI modules and root permissions.
• Some SEL entries are cryptic — correlate with vendor docs and dmesg.

Historical Context

IPMI became the standard for “lights-out” server management (power control, sensor telemetry, event logs) independent of the host OS. FreeIPMI is a long-running open-source suite built to interoperate across vendors.

Modern Equivalent

Many environments now use vendor toolchains (iDRAC/iLO) or Redfish APIs, but IPMI is still widely deployed. FreeIPMI remains a reliable CLI option, especially in minimal Linux and datacenter workflows.

Related Commands

• ipmitool — alternative IPMI CLI (different project).
• lm_sensors — host-side sensor readings (not BMC/IPMI).
• dmesg — kernel logs (hardware events, IPMI driver messages).
• lspci — list PCI devices (hardware inventory).
• smartctl — disk health and SMART data.