[ale] Mac's version of BSD

[James Sumners]

Normally, you'd do this sort of operation (check S.M.A.R.T. status)
with Disk Uility[1]. This tool is found under /Applications/Utilities.
However, if you want to check it with a CLI tool, then you can use
`diskutil` like so: `diskutil info disk0 | grep SMART`. Full
information report from diskutil looks like this:

 $ diskutil info disk0
   Device Identifier:        disk0
   Device Node:              /dev/disk0
   Part of Whole:            disk0
   Device / Media Name:      WDC WD5000BEKT-00KA9T0 Media

   Volume Name:              Not applicable (no file system)

   Mounted:                  Not applicable (no file system)

   File System:              None

   Content (IOContent):      GUID_partition_scheme
   OS Can Be Installed:      No
   Media Type:               Generic
   Protocol:                 SATA
   SMART Status:             Verified

   Total Size:               500.1 GB (500107862016 Bytes) (exactly
976773168 512-Byte-Blocks)
   Volume Free Space:        Not applicable (no file system)
   Device Block Size:        512 Bytes

   Read-Only Media:          No
   Read-Only Volume:         Not applicable (no file system)
   Ejectable:                No

   Whole:                    Yes
   Internal:                 Yes
   Solid State:              No
   OS 9 Drivers:             No
   Low Level Format:         Not supported

[1] -- http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=DiskUtility/10.5/en/duh1896.html

On Sun, May 13, 2012 at 3:58 PM, Drifter <drifter at oppositelock.org> wrote:
> I am essentially clueless about the underpinnings of a Mac.
> But, given the recent discussions on failing hard drives, I couldn't help
> but remember my wife's recent PAIN -- the HD in her Mac laptop died and
> that's when she discovered that her backup drive had died a week or so
> earlier.  (She hadn't understood the error messages she was getting.)
> Two new hard drives later she is trying to recover what she can.
>
> So this afternoon I checked and the command <smartctl> is not on her
> machine.  Is it available?  If so, what is the download/install procedure?
>
> Sean
>
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-- 
James Sumners
http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/

"All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."

Missionaria Protectiva, Text QIV (decto)
CH:D 59