Re: Bug#419175: linux-image-2.6.18-4-686: USB HD gives I/O errors while spinning up

[Håkon "A. Hjortland" <hah@imap4all.com>]

I also have "Device not ready"-problems when my FreeAgent USB drive spins up.

This seems to be the way to disable spindown:
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$ sudo sdparm -al /dev/sda 
    /dev/sda: Seagate   FreeAgentDesktop  100D
    Direct access device specific parameters: WP=0  DPOFUA=0
Power condition mode page:
  IDLE        0  [cha: n, def:  0, sav:  0]  Idle timer active
  STANDBY     1  [cha: y, def:  1, sav:  1]  Standby timer active
  ICT         0  [cha: n, def:  0, sav:  0]  Idle condition timer (100 ms)
  SCT       9000  [cha: y, def:9000, sav:9000]  Standby condition timer (100 ms)
$ sudo sdparm --clear STANDBY -6 /dev/sda 
    /dev/sda: Seagate   FreeAgentDesktop  100D
$ sudo sdparm -al /dev/sda 
    /dev/sda: Seagate   FreeAgentDesktop  100D
    Direct access device specific parameters: WP=0  DPOFUA=0
Power condition mode page:
  IDLE        0  [cha: n, def:  0, sav:  0]  Idle timer active
  STANDBY     0  [cha: n, def:  1, sav:  0]  Standby timer active
  ICT         0  [cha: n, def:  0, sav:  0]  Idle condition timer (100 ms)
  SCT         0  [cha: n, def:9000, sav:  0]  Standby condition timer (100 ms)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This, however, is really just a quick-fix. It would be nice to be able
to use automatic spindown/spinup. 

--
Håkon