Edit File: WARNINGS
$Id: WARNINGS 2844 2009-07-18 12:59:21Z chrfranke $ The most recent version of this file can be found here: http://smartmontools.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/smartmontools/trunk/smartmontools/WARNINGS?view=markup The following are reports of serious problems (eg system lockup) which were due to smartmontools. There are DARWIN, LINUX, FREEBSD, SOLARIS and WINDOWS sections below. LINUX ----- You may also wish to search the linux-kernel mailing list for problem reports concerning smartmontools. Here is the URL: http://groups.google.com/groups?as_q=smartmontools&safe=images&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&as_ugroup=linux.kernel&lr=&num=100&hl=en SYSTEM: Any system with USB ports and USB storage devices PROBLEM: Using smartd/smartctl on USB "SCSI" storage devices can cause kernel hang REPORTER: see link below LINK: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=107615 NOTE: USB storage devices are handled as SCSI devices by the kernel. But many of these devices do not comply with SCSI specs, and can cause the kernel to hang. Avoid using smartd/smartctl on these devices (they don't do SMART anyway). In particular, the use of smartd DEVICESCAN in /etc/smartd.conf can cause these devices (typically represented by /dev/sda or /dev/sdb) to hang, and the kernel to lock up. FIXED: This problem should be fixed in smartmontools-5.25 and greater. SYSTEM: Intel 875WP1-E motherboard with SATA drives on motherboard's SATA ports PROBLEM: smartd makes NTP time drift REPORTER: nohez@cmie.com LINK: http://groups.google.de/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&selm=Pine.LNX.4.33.0310111545530.1047-100000%40venus.cmie.ernet.in.lucky.linux.kernel NOTE: When using SATA disks, linux kernel k_smp-2.4.21-108 (SMP because of hyper-threading) and xntp-4.1.1-177, the server time went out of sync with system time. Problem goes away when SATA disks removed. SYSTEM: Dell servers using AACRAID (SCSI) PROBLEM: Locked up, needed to be rebooted REPORTER: drew@eastvan.bc.ca LINK: http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_id=1311313&forum_id=12495 SYSTEM: Box with Promise 20265 IDE-controller (pdc202xx-driver) and > 2.4.18 kernel with ide-taskfile support PROBLEM: Smartctl locks system solid when used on /dev/hd[ef]. REPORTER: Georg Acher <acher@in.tum.de> LINK: http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_id=1457979&forum_id=12495 NOTE: Lockup doesn't happen with 2.4.18 kernel, and doesn't affect /dev/hd[a-d] This appears to be a problem with the pdc202xx-driver and has been reported to the pdcx maintainers. If you enable the Promise-BIOS (ATA100-BIOS) then everything will work fine. But if you disable it, then the machine will hang. SYSTEM: Box with Promise 20262 IDE-controller PROBLEM: Smartctl locks system solid REPORTER: Ben Low <ben@bdlow.net> LINK: http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/message.php?msg_id=5074201 NOTE: Similar to previous report: Promise Ultra66 2-port card (20262) which, with linux 2.4.20, suffers from the lockups reported above. But it was impossible to enable the Promiste BIOS. A kernel patch is referenced to fix the problem. SYSTEM: Promise 20265 IDE-controller PROBLEM: Smartctl locks system solid when used on CDROM/DVD device REPORTER: see link below LINK: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=208964 NOTE: Problem seems to affect kernel 2.4.21 only. SYSTEM: Promise IDE-controllers and perhaps others also PROBLEM: System freezes under heavy load, perhaps when running SMART commands REPORTER: Mario 'BitKoenig' Holbe Mario.Holbe@RZ.TU-Ilmenau.DE LINK: http://groups.google.de/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=1wUXW-2FA-9%40gated-at.bofh.it NOTE: Before freezing, SYSLOG shows the following message(s) kernel: hdf: dma timer expiry: dma status == 0xXX where XX is two hexidecimal digits. This may be a kernel bug or an underlying hardware problem. It's not clear if smartmontools plays a role in provoking this problem. FINAL NOTE: Problem was COMPLETELY resolved by replacing the power supply. See URL above, entry on May 29, 2004 by Holbe. Other things to try are exchanging cables, and cleaning PCI slots. FREEBSD ------- [No problem reports yet.] SOLARIS ------- [No problem reports yet.] CYGWIN and WINDOWS ------------------ [No problem reports yet.] DARWIN ------ SYSTEM: Any system before Tiger PROBLEM: Can't switch off SMART, can't switch off auto-save, can't run short tests. REPORTER: Geoff Keating <geoffk@geoffk.org> NOTE: There's a bug in the system library: when you ask it to do any of these things, it does the inverse (switches on, runs extended tests). Radar 3727283. SYSTEM: All known systems PROBLEM: When drive is asleep, SMART commands fail REPORTER: Geoff Keating <geoffk@geoffk.org> NOTE: You can prevent the drive from sleeping by saying pmset -a disksleep 0 or by unchecking the 'Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible' checkbox in the Energy Saver preferences. Radar 4094403.
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