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smartctl

Introduction​

This cheat sheet provides a quick reference for some common smartctl commands and concepts. smartctl is a command-line tool used to monitor and manage SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) data on storage devices such as hard drives and SSDs.

smartctl Concepts​

Basic smartctl Usage​

smartctl is used to query and manage SMART data on storage devices.

  • View SMART attributes and overall health status:

    smartctl -a /dev/sdX

  • Short self-test (non-destructive):

    smartctl -t short /dev/sdX

  • Long self-test (may take several hours):

    smartctl -t long /dev/sdX

  • Run a self-test and show progress:

    smartctl -t select,10-100 -c /dev/sdX

Self-Tests​

SMART self-tests help identify potential issues with storage devices.

  • View self-test logs:

    smartctl -l selftest /dev/sdX

  • Run an offline self-test:

    smartctl -t offline /dev/sdX

  • Abort a running self-test:

    smartctl -X /dev/sdX

SMART Attributes​

SMART attributes provide information about a drive's health.

  • Show a specific attribute's value: 
    smartctl -A -v 9,raw48 /dev/sdX

Device Information​

smartctl provides details about the storage device.

  • View device information:

    smartctl -i /dev/sdX

  • Perform a device self-test:

    smartctl -t device,1 /dev/sdX

Temperature Monitoring​

Check the temperature of the storage device.

  • View temperature information: 
    smartctl -A -v 194,raw48 /dev/sdX

smartctl Command-Line​

  • View SMART attributes and overall health status:

    smartctl -a /dev/sdX

  • Short self-test (non-destructive):

    smartctl -t short /dev/sdX

  • Long self-test (may take several hours):

    smartctl -t long /dev/sdX

  • View self-test logs:

    smartctl -l selftest /dev/sdX

  • Run an offline self-test:

    smartctl -t offline /dev/sdX

  • Abort a running self-test:

    smartctl -X /dev/sdX

  • Show a specific attribute's value:

    smartctl -A -v 9,raw48 /dev/sdX

  • View device information:

    smartctl -i /dev/sdX

  • Perform a device self-test:

    smartctl -t device,1 /dev/sdX

  • View temperature information:

    smartctl -A -v 194,raw48 /dev/sdX

Conclusion​

This cheat sheet covers some common smartctl commands and concepts. smartctl is a valuable tool for monitoring and managing the health of storage devices, making it essential for system administrators and storage maintenance tasks; refer to the smartmontools documentation for more in-depth information and advanced usage.