After apt-get dist-upgrade from Sarge to Debian Etch, the last task it was to do, was to upgrade and restart smartd.

The following error was obtained: Installing new version of config file /etc/init.d/smartmontools … Enabling S.M.A.R.T…./dev/sda…unable to fetch IEC (SMART) mode page field in scsi command (failed)…/dev/sdb…unable to fetch IEC (SMART) mode page field in scsi command (failed)…done. Starting S.M.A.R.T. daemon: smartd. invoke-rc.d: initscript smartmontools, action “start” failed. dpkg: error processing smartmontools (–configure):

subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2

After looking long and hard via google etc., I found this thread: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=365027;msg=70

vi /etc/default/smartmontools //comment out: #enable_smart=“/dev/hda /dev/hdb” #enable_smart=“/dev/sda /dev/sdb”

Leave start_smartd=yes uncommented for it to start on boot.