Bug#880008: hdparm sets -B for all drives, despite what it says in hdparm.conf

[Alex Mestiashvili]

See also https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=448673
It's not a bug, it's a feature! :)
Thank you for brining this up, I wasn't aware of it.

Bug#880008: hdparm sets -B for all drives, despite what it says in hdparm.conf

[Alex Mestiashvili]

On 10/28/2017 12:07 PM, Ralf Jung wrote:
> Package: hdparm
> Version: 9.51+ds-1
> Severity: normal
>
> Dear Maintainer,
>
> hdparm.conf says:
>
> ## /sbin/hdparm is not run unless a block of the form:
> ##  DEV {
> ## option
> ## option
> ## ...
> ##  }
> ## exists.
>
> However, thta turns out to be wrong.  My hdparm.conf only contains a
block for
> /dev/sdb, and yet:
>
> # /lib/systemd/system-sleep/hdparm post
>
> /dev/sda:
>  setting Advanced Power Management level to 0xfe (254)
>  APM_level= 254
>
> /dev/sdb:
>  setting Advanced Power Management level to 0xfe (254)
>  APM_level= 254
>
> /dev/sdb:
>  setting standby to 50 (4 minutes + 10 seconds)
>
> As you can see, hdparm is called for /dev/sda as well.
>
> Kind regards,
> Ralf
> -- Configuration Files:
> /etc/hdparm.conf changed:
> quiet
> /dev/sdb {
> #apm = 254
> #apm_battery = 254
> # spin-down time of 4:10 min (=50*5 seconds)
> spindown_time = 50
> }


You are right, hdparm shouldn't be touching all disk in the system, but
there is a reason. The issue is summarized here:

 https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DanielHahler/Bug59695
 https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/acpi-support/+bug/59695

Currently -B 254 on AC power and -B 128 on battery seem to be the
sensible default values for the vast majority of disks and are set for
every disk supporting APM.

These defaults are defined in /lib/hdparm/hdparm-functions in
hdparm_option() function.

The (ancient) documentation of hdparm need to be updated to note
these defaults.

Best regards,
Alex

Bug#880008: hdparm sets -B for all drives, despite what it says in hdparm.conf

[Ralf Jung]

Package: hdparm
Version: 9.51+ds-1
Severity: normal

Dear Maintainer,

hdparm.conf says:

## /sbin/hdparm is not run unless a block of the form:
##  DEV {
## option
## option
## ...
##  }
## exists.

However, thta turns out to be wrong.  My hdparm.conf only contains a block for
/dev/sdb, and yet:

# /lib/systemd/system-sleep/hdparm post

/dev/sda:
 setting Advanced Power Management level to 0xfe (254)
 APM_level  = 254

/dev/sdb:
 setting Advanced Power Management level to 0xfe (254)
 APM_level  = 254

/dev/sdb:
 setting standby to 50 (4 minutes + 10 seconds)

As you can see, hdparm is called for /dev/sda as well.

Kind regards,
Ralf

-- System Information:
Debian Release: buster/sid
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (990, 'testing'), (500, 'unstable-debug'), (500, 
'testing-debug'), (100, 'unstable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Foreign Architectures: i386

Kernel: Linux 4.13.0-1-amd64 (SMP w/8 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8), 
LANGUAGE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)

Versions of packages hdparm depends on:
ii  libc6 2.24-17
ii  lsb-base  9.20170808

Versions of packages hdparm recommends:
ii  powermgmt-base  1.31+nmu1

Versions of packages hdparm suggests:
pn  apmd  

-- Configuration Files:
/etc/hdparm.conf changed:
quiet 
/dev/sdb {
#apm = 254
#apm_battery = 254
# spin-down time of 4:10 min (=50*5 seconds)
spindown_time = 50
}


-- no debconf information