Spinning down an external hard drive when it’s not in use can extend its lifespan and save energy. This process can be done directly from the terminal in Linux. In this article, we will explore three different methods to spin down an external hard drive: using udisks, hdparm, and sg_start.
To spin down an external hard drive from the terminal in Linux, you can use udisks, hdparm, or sg_start depending on your system and preferences. Each method involves unmounting the drive and then issuing a command to spin it down. Remember to replace the device name (/dev/sdb1 or /dev/sdb) with the actual device name of your external hard drive.
Identifying the Device Name
Before we start, it’s important to identify the device name of your external hard drive. You can do this by running the following command in the terminal:
mountThis command will display a list of mounted devices. Look for your external hard drive in this list and note down its device name (e.g., /dev/sdb1).
Using udisks to Spin Down the Hard Drive
udisks is a command-line utility that provides a way to carry out disk operations.
Unmounting the Drive
First, unmount the partition using the following command:
udisks --unmount /dev/sdb1Replace /dev/sdb1 with your device name. The --unmount option tells udisks to unmount the partition.
Spinning Down the Drive
After unmounting, you can safely spin down the drive using this command:
udisks --detach /dev/sdbAgain, replace /dev/sdb with your device name. Note that you should use only the device name without the partition number when using the detach option.
Using hdparm to Spin Down the Hard Drive
hdparm is another command-line utility that can be used to spin down hard drives.
Unmounting the Drive
To unmount the partition, use the following command:
sudo umount /dev/sdb1Replace /dev/sdb1 with your device name. The umount command unmounts the partition.
Spinning Down the Drive
To spin down the drive, use this command:
sudo hdparm -y /dev/sdbReplace /dev/sdb with your device name. The -y option tells hdparm to put the drive in standby mode, effectively spinning it down.
Using sg_start to Spin Down the Hard Drive
sg_start is a part of the sg3-utils package and can also be used to spin down hard drives.
Installing sg3-utils
First, install the sg3-utils package using the following command:
sudo apt-get install sg3-utilsSpinning Down the Drive
To spin down the external USB drive, use the following command:
sg_start --stop /dev/sdbReplace /dev/sdb with your device name. The --stop option tells sg_start to stop the drive.
Conclusion
Remember to replace /dev/sdb1 or /dev/sdb with the actual device name of your external hard drive. It’s important to unmount the partition before spinning down the drive to ensure data integrity. Each of these methods provides a way to manually spin down your external hard drive from the terminal, helping to extend its lifespan and save energy.
Spinning down an external hard drive when it’s not in use can extend its lifespan and save energy. By spinning down the drive, it reduces wear and tear on the mechanical components and reduces power consumption.
You can identify the device name of your external hard drive by running the command mount in the terminal. This command will display a list of mounted devices, and you can look for your external hard drive in the list and note down its device name (e.g., /dev/sdb1).
Yes, you can use any of the three methods mentioned (using udisks, hdparm, or sg_start) to spin down an external hard drive. The choice of method depends on the utilities available in your Linux distribution and personal preference.
Yes, it is important to unmount the partition before spinning down the external hard drive. This ensures data integrity and prevents any potential data loss or corruption.
Spinning down the external hard drive will temporarily affect its performance. When you need to access the drive again, it will take a few moments for the drive to spin up and become available. However, this minor delay is usually negligible for most users.
