ubuntu-server 7.10, what might be preventing my USB drive from sleeping?

[Karl Larsen]

Bart Silverstrim wrote:
> Karl Larsen wrote:
>
>   
>>     I have a hard drive that I connect to my Ubuntu using a USB cable. I 
>> works fine and I reach it at /media/disk/. What keeps it running is a 
>> power supply. The HD will run until I turn it off with a switch.
>>
>>     So I don't understand your problem :-)
>>     
>
> The drive should be powering down when it's not in use for an extended 
> period of time. 
    I am an Electrical Engineer and thus are simple minded. A box full 
of timers and relays to turn on and off 12 volts when needed will be 
expensive and not mass produced.

    So please tell us what make and model controller your using with 
your VERY special external Hard Drive.

Karl



>  It saves wear on the bearings, minimizes power usage, 
> helps a little with cooling, and extends the life of the drive.
>
> When it is sleeping it can be re-accessed (from something as simple as 
> an "ls" listing) and will wake up again.  You know it was sleeping because
> a) it spins up audibly
> b) there is a pause between you issuing the command and the drive waking 
> up and your command beginning
>
> If it doesn't spin down, your power save features are disabled, the 
> drive doesn't support power saving (unlikely but possible, I suppose) or 
> you have something periodically accessing the drive so it is staying 
> "awake" and ready for quicker access.
>
>   


-- 

	Karl F. Larsen, AKA K5DI
	Linux User
	#450462   http://counter.li.org.
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