apt-get install smartmontools
smartctl -a -d ata /dev/sda ↔ Debian Etch
smartctl -a /dev/sda
vi /etc/smartd.conf
#DEVICESCAN -m root -M exec /usr/share/smartmontools/smartd-runner
#comment out the above, and include the following for the two hard disks.
/dev/sda -a -d ata -m root -l error -l selftest -t
/dev/sdb -a -d ata -m root -l error -l selftest -t
Even though the hard drive was an sata - I had to use “-d ata” in the above line. It all worked perfect after the above. Munin then ties in with smartd to take regular readings and produce graphs.
vi /etc/default/smartmontools and uncomment: start_smartd=yes
smartctl -t short /dev/sdb smartctl -l selftest /dev/sdb
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=64567