Linux comes with various commands to find out information about your hard drive. I recommend hdparm command which provides a command line interface to various hard disk ioctls supported by the stock Linux ATA/IDE device driver subsystem. This command read / request identification information such as disk size, description and much more directly from the drive, which is displayed in a new expanded format.
hdparm Command
Open the terminal and type the following command to find information about /dev/sda:
# hdparm -I /dev/sda
OR
$ sudo hdparm -I /dev/sda
Sample outputs:
/dev/sda:
ATA device, with non-removable media
Model Number: ST3500630AS
Serial Number: 9XXYZ845YZ
Firmware Revision: 3.AAK
Standards:
Supported: 7 6 5 4
Likely used: 7
Configuration:
Logical max current
cylinders 16383 16383
heads 16 16
sectors/track 63 63
--
CHS current addressable sectors: 16514064
LBA user addressable sectors: 268435455
LBA48 user addressable sectors: 976773168
device size with M = 1024*1024: 476940 MBytes
device size with M = 1000*1000: 500107 MBytes (500 GB)
Capabilities:
LBA, IORDY(can be disabled)
Queue depth: 32
Standby timer values: spec'd by Standard, no device specific minimum
R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 16 Current = 16
Recommended acoustic management value: 254, current value: 0
DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 udma5 *udma6
Cycle time: min=120ns recommended=120ns
PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
Cycle time: no flow control=120ns IORDY flow control=120ns
Commands/features:
Enabled Supported:
* SMART feature set
Security Mode feature set
* Power Management feature set
* Write cache
* Look-ahead
* Host Protected Area feature set
* WRITE_BUFFER command
* READ_BUFFER command
* DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE
SET_MAX security extension
* 48-bit Address feature set
* Device Configuration Overlay feature set
* Mandatory FLUSH_CACHE
* FLUSH_CACHE_EXT
* SMART error logging
* SMART self-test
* General Purpose Logging feature set
* SATA-I signaling speed (1.5Gb/s)
* SATA-II signaling speed (3.0Gb/s)
* Native Command Queueing (NCQ)
* Phy event counters
Device-initiated interface power management
* Software settings preservation
Security:
Master password revision code = 65534
supported
not enabled
not locked
frozen
not expired: security count
not supported: enhanced erase
Checksum: correct
lshw Command
You need to install lshw command using apt-get or yum command. To display all disks and storage controllers in the system, enter:
# lshw -class disk -class storage
Sample outputs:
*-storage
description: Mass storage controller
product: 5-in-1 Multimedia Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO/xD)
vendor: Texas Instruments
physical id: 1.2
bus info: pci@0000:03:01.2
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: storage pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=tifm_7xx1 latency=64 maxlatency=4 mingnt=7
resources: irq:19 memory:f19fa000-f19fafff
*-storage
description: SATA controller
product: 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 6 port SATA AHCI Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 1f.2
bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.2
logical name: scsi0
logical name: scsi1
logical name: scsi2
version: 05
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: storage msi pm ahci_1.0 bus_master cap_list emulated
configuration: driver=ahci latency=0
resources: irq:32 ioport:6e70(size=8) ioport:6e78(size=4) ioport:6e80(size=8) ioport:6e88(size=4) ioport:6ea0(size=32) memory:fed1e000-fed1e7ff
*-disk:0
description: ATA Disk
product: TOSHIBA MK5061GS
vendor: Toshiba
physical id: 0
bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0
logical name: /dev/sda
version: MF00
serial: 71XYZYYYY
size: 465GiB (500GB)
capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos
configuration: ansiversion=5 signature=00025d42
*-cdrom
description: DVD-RAM writer
product: BD-RE UJ232A
vendor: MATSHITA
physical id: 1
bus info: scsi@1:0.0.0
logical name: /dev/cdrom
logical name: /dev/cdrw
logical name: /dev/dvd
logical name: /dev/dvdrw
logical name: /dev/scd0
logical name: /dev/sr0
logical name: /media/cdrom0
version: 1.10
capabilities: removable audio cd-r cd-rw dvd dvd-r dvd-ram
configuration: ansiversion=5 mount.fstype=udf mount.options=ro,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,utf8 state=mounted status=ready
*-medium
physical id: 0
logical name: /dev/cdrom
logical name: /media/cdrom0
configuration: mount.fstype=udf mount.options=ro,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,utf8 state=mounted
*-disk:1
description: ATA Disk
product: ST9500420ASG
vendor: Seagate
physical id: 0.0.0
bus info: scsi@2:0.0.0
logical name: /dev/sdb
version: 0004
serial: 5VXYZYYYY
size: 465GiB (500GB)
capabilities: gpt-1.00 partitioned partitioned:gpt
configuration: ansiversion=5 guid=8795c9fc-5238-11e1-84e2-00216aca9b10
Find Out Disks Name Only
The following command will quickly list installed disks including CD/DVD/BD drivers:
# lshw -short -C disk
Sample outputs:
H/W path Device Class Description ======================================================== /0/100/1f.2/0 /dev/sda disk 500GB TOSHIBA MK5061GS /0/100/1f.2/1 /dev/cdrom disk BD-RE UJ232A /0/100/1f.2/1/0 /dev/cdrom disk /0/100/1f.2/0.0.0 /dev/sdb disk 500GB ST9500420ASG
Linux GUI Disk Utility
Gnome users can use the gnome-disk-utility for the following purposes:
- Get information about installed disks and its current health.
- Manage and configure disk drives.
- Manage and configure media.
- Manage and configure software RAID devices.
Type the following command or start Disk utility by visiting Applications > System Tools > Disk Utility :
$ palimpsest
smartctl Command
The smartctl command act as a control and monitor Utility for SMART disks under Linux and Unix like operating systems. Type the following command to get information about /dev/sda (SATA disk):
# smartctl -d ata -a -i /dev/sda
Sample outputs:
smartctl 5.40 2010-07-12 r3124 [x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-10 by Bruce Allen, http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net
=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Device Model: TOSHIBA MK5061GSYF
Serial Number: 71XXXYYZ
Firmware Version: MF000D
User Capacity: 500,107,862,016 bytes
Device is: Not in smartctl database [for details use: -P showall]
ATA Version is: 8
ATA Standard is: Exact ATA specification draft version not indicated
Local Time is: Fri Feb 24 05:27:29 2012 IST
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled
=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED
General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status: (0x00) Offline data collection activity
was never started.
Auto Offline Data Collection: Disabled.
Self-test execution status: ( 36) The self-test routine was interrupted
by the host with a hard or soft reset.
Total time to complete Offline
data collection: ( 120) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities: (0x5b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
Suspend Offline collection upon new
command.
Offline surface scan supported.
Self-test supported.
No Conveyance Self-test supported.
Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities: (0x0003) Saves SMART data before entering
power-saving mode.
Supports SMART auto save timer.
Error logging capability: (0x01) Error logging supported.
General Purpose Logging supported.
Short self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 2) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time: ( 136) minutes.
SCT capabilities: (0x003d) SCT Status supported.
SCT Error Recovery Control supported.
SCT Feature Control supported.
SCT Data Table supported.
SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 128
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate 0x000b 100 100 050 Pre-fail Always - 0
3 Spin_Up_Time 0x0027 100 100 001 Pre-fail Always - 1650
5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0033 100 100 050 Pre-fail Always - 0
9 Power_On_Hours 0x0032 099 099 000 Old_age Always - 34237
12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 120
191 G-Sense_Error_Rate 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 42
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 23
193 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0032 099 099 000 Old_age Always - 13971
194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0022 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 39 (Lifetime Min/Max 21/48)
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 3536073
200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 9143982
240 Head_Flying_Hours 0x0032 099 099 000 Old_age Always - 28415
241 Total_LBAs_Written 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 741418060
242 Total_LBAs_Read 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 450708673
254 Free_Fall_Sensor 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
SMART Error Log Version: 1
No Errors Logged
SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num Test_Description Status Remaining LifeTime(hours) LBA_of_first_error
# 1 Short offline Interrupted (host reset) 40% 343 -
# 2 Short offline Completed without error 00% 186 -
# 3 Short offline Completed without error 00% 71 -
# 4 Short offline Completed without error 00% 0 -
# 5 Short offline Completed without error 00% 0 -
SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 1
SPAN MIN_LBA MAX_LBA CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
1 0 0 Not_testing
2 0 0 Not_testing
3 0 0 Not_testing
4 0 0 Not_testing
5 0 0 Not_testing
Selective self-test flags (0x0):
After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.
