I was going to post it to the bug #59695, but since that one is a
duplicate...

I have had 341541 Load_Cycle_Count and the rate of 4-5 cycles per
*minute*, while browsing and using shell after 2 months of Using Ubuntu
Gutsy (yes, I have installed the development version). Then I've applied
the "ugly fix" (http://ubuntudemon.wordpress.com/2007/10/26/laptop-
hardrive-killer-bug/#comment-31234) and couple of days later the
Load_Cycle_Count is 341549.

Well, my laptop is not young, it is almost 2 years old now, and I have
used WinXP for the first year, then Ubuntu Dapper for a couple of weeks,
then Feisty for a couple of weeks again, and then Gentoo for three
months. Nevertheless, I believe the high Load_Cycle_Count is Ubuntu's
merit because with that high Load_Cycle_Count increase rate it would
take about three months with my current usage pattern to achieve the
value (this is exactly how long I have been using all versions of
Ubuntu).

Furthermore, I have never (well, maybe in Dapper of Feisty) had laptop
mode enabled here. Therefore, according to Ubuntu developers, I should
blame my hard drive manufacturer - Hitachi - or laptop producer - Acer.
That's true, but I blame Ubuntu, and here's the reasoning.

Ubuntu tries to be a "linux for humans". If I understand the phrase
correctly, I am not supposed to read bug tracks and IT news. Rather I
should be merely using my PC as a tool for doing my job. Now, I was
going to install Ubuntu to a friend of mine who has a new Toshiba
laptop, and what's then? Does he find his laptop hard drive with a lot
of valuable and, perhaps, irrecoverable information dead half a year
later? Guess what he would say about Ubuntu Linux that hadn't dared to
correct insane BIOS/hard drive defaults? Guess if he is ever going to
use Ubuntu, or any Linux, again? And by the way, if I am going to
install it for him anymore...

Well, if it was Gentoo, and the guys who reported a similar bug there
are correct, I *could* try to explain it to myself that gentoo is not
meant for a non-savvy user, and it was I who misconfigured the system...
but Ubuntu is "for human beings"!!!! (Although, I still consider this
issue to be a bug, regardless of distribution)

To sum up, I insist that the hard drive spin down should not only be
configurable, but *configured* during installation so that any defaults
pass a sanity checking before being used. Otherwise, IMHO the main point
of Ubuntu distribution - linux "for the rest of us" - is to be
dismissed. Anyway, there is a large number of upset laptop owners who
would greatly appreciate these changes.

P.S. Please, find attached the output of smartctl -a /dev/sda at present
moment.

** Attachment added: "smartctl"
   http://launchpadlibrarian.net/10290522/smartctl

-- 
Hard drive spindown should be configurable
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/17216
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