For the record, I have both ntfs and ext4 partitions on the drive, both mounted at all times under Ubuntu 9.10, and the drive remains in a "standby" state except when I'm actually using the drives. ------------------------------------------------------ Kirk Bauer http://linux.kaybee.org | www.logwatch.org Author, Automating UNIX & Linux Administration On Sat, Nov 14, 2009 at 12:49 PM, Matt Graham wrote: > After a long battle with technology, Alan Dayley wrote: >> On Sat, Nov 14, 2009 at 11:32 AM, Kirk Bauer wrote: >>> I have a laptop with two hard drives: an SSD running Ubuntu 9.10 and a >>> regular hard drive with Windows 7.  My hope is that the spinning drive >>> is normally not spinning, but I can't hear it, and I can't figure out >>> how to tell (from Linux) if it is powered on or not. > > "hdparm -C /dev/whatever" should tell you.  Disks that are spinning show up as > active/idle, disks that are not should be standby or sleeping.  Disks that > are USB give me a set of weird SCSI errors and "unknown", though, so YMMV on > this. > >> By default, if the hard drive has power, it is spinning.  Unless the >> host computer commands it to spin down, it is spinning. Oh, and most any >> command sent to the drive by the host will cause it to spin back up.  Linux >> usually does not do this but configurations vary. > > In general, you won't be able to spin down any disk that > contains / , /var , /usr , or /home unless nobody's logged in. > > -- >   I will rule you all with my iron fist.  YOU!  Obey the fist! >   --Invader Zim >  My blog: http://crow202.org/wordpress/ > Matt G|There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss