Tips to perform harddisk test in linux

Introduction

Hardisk test helps to prevent data loss before it actually fails. It shows bad sector and any other problem like

A standard S.M.A.R.T method is supported by many harddisks which help to gather info easily.

Using S.M.A.R.T tool in linux (CLI option)

Setting up

Installation

You can install the smartmontools package from the Synaptic Package Manager (see SynapticHowto), or by typing the following into the terminal:

sudo apt-get install smartmontools

Checking a drive for SMART Capability

To ensure that your drive supports SMART, type:

sudo smartctl -i /dev/sda

where /dev/sda is your hard drive. This will give you brief information about your drive. The last two lines may look something like this:

SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability. SMART support is: Enabled

Enabling SMART

In the case that SMART is not enabled for your drive, you can enable it by typing:

sudo smartctl -s on /dev/sda

Testing a Drive

You may run any type of test while the drive is mounted although there may be some drop in performance. There are three types of test that can be conducted on a drive:

• 1. Short

  2. Extended (Long)

  3. Conveyance

To find an estimate of the time it takes to conduct each test, type:

sudo smartctl -c /dev/sda

The most useful test is the extended test (long). You can initiate the test by typing:

sudo smartctl -t long /dev/sda

Results

You can view a drive's test statistics by typing:

sudo smartctl -l selftest /dev/sda

To display detailed SMART information for an IDE drive, type:

sudo smartctl -a /dev/sda

To display detailed SMART information for a SATA drive, type:

sudo smartctl -a -d ata /dev/sda

Note: This also works for IDE drives in new kernels that are being run through the SCSI stack and show up as /dev/sdX

Reference

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Smartmontools