Which command would you use to view the SMART error log for a device such as /dev/sda?

Which command would you use to view the SMART error log for a device such as /dev/sda?

• A. sudo smartctl -a /dev/sda
• B. sudo smartctl -t long /dev/sda
• C. sudo smartctl -l selftest /dev/sda
• D. sudo smartctl -l error /dev/sda

Answer: (D)

To view the SMART error log, use the log option that targets errors specifically. The SMART error log records recent I/O errors the drive has reported, along with details that can help diagnose issues. For /dev/sda, run: sudo smartctl -l error /dev/sda. This directly prints the error log. The other options provide different information: -a shows all SMART data (broader than just errors), -t long starts a long self-test (not a log), and -l selftest shows the self-test log rather than the error log.

To view the SMART error log, use the log option that targets errors specifically. The SMART error log records recent I/O errors the drive has reported, along with details that can help diagnose issues. For /dev/sda, run: sudo smartctl -l error /dev/sda. This directly prints the error log. The other options provide different information: -a shows all SMART data (broader than just errors), -t long starts a long self-test (not a log), and -l selftest shows the self-test log rather than the error log.