smartctl usage (was Re: input/output error, looks bad!)

[Tyler Smith <tyler.smith@mail.mcgill.ca>]

On 2007-03-18, Tyler Smith <tyler.smith@mail.mcgill.ca> wrote:
> On 2007-03-18, Hugo Vanwoerkom <hvw59601@care2.com> wrote:
>>
>> and what this show?
>>
>> /usr/sbin/smartctl -a -d ata /dev/<drive>
>>
>
> I decided to start with the long self test, which is running now:
>
> smartctl -t long -d ata /dev/sda
>

Ok, I've run smartctl -t long -d ata /dev/sda test. I think the
pertinent output from smartctl -a -d ata /dev/sda is:

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num  Test_Description    Status                  Remaining  LifeTime(hours)  LBA_of_first_error
# 1  Extended offline    Completed without error       00%      1343         -

>From what I've now read I take this to mean that my hard drive is
operating as expected, so I can stop worrying about imminent
failure. I'm not clear on the offline testing and other options for
using smartd. For the /etc/smartd.conf file I take it I should use
something like: 

/dev/hda -a -o on -S on -s (S/../.././02|L/../../6/03) -m root

Am I correct in interpreting this to mean that smartctl will run
appropriate tests on a weekly schedule, and if it finds any problems
it will email me a warning? Is there anything else I should do to set
up proper disk monitoring?


-- 
Regards,

Tyler Smit