To rule out the kernel being the culprit, I build a kernel I'm using with Arch Linux, were green drives stay asleep. IMO it's not caused by the package linux. There are no differences for the config, that are relevant for the issue. It's unlikely that there were any additional patches used for the Arch Linux kernel, that are related to the issue.
The spin down/spin up test: [root@moonstudio weremouse]# t=10800;y=$(smartctl -A /dev/sdc|grep Lo|awk '{print $NF}');sleep $t;x=$(smartctl -A /dev/sdc|grep Lo|awk '{print $NF}');printf "\n$(uname -rm)$(lsb_release -d|cut -f2 -d:|cut -f1 -d"(")\n$x-$y=$((x-y)) spins in $(($t/60/60)) hours\n" 3.10.61-rt65-1-moonstudio x86_64 Ubuntu Wily Werewolf 15342-15333=9 spins in 3 hours Arch Linux only makes one spin, when smartctl wakes up the drive after 3 hours. That's how I build the Ubuntu kernel: [root@moonstudio src]# export CONCURRENCY_LEVEL=2;wget https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/linux-3.10.61.tar.gz https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/projects/rt/3.10/older/patch-3.10.61-rt65.patch.gz && tar zxf linux-3.10.61.tar.gz && mv linux-3.10.61 linux-3.10.61-rt65 && cd linux-3.10.61-rt65 && gzip -dc ../patch-3.10.61-rt65.patch.gz | patch -p1 && cp ../config-3.10.61-rt65-1-rt-lts.01.edit .config && make oldconfig && make menuconfig && make oldconfig && date && make-kpkg clean && make-kpkg --initrd kernel-image kernel-headers && make-kpkg clean && date Most likely the Arch kernel just had two additional patches: change-default-console-loglevel.patch fix-race-in-PRT-wait-for-completion-simple-wait-code_Nvidia-RT.patch Both kernels are configured with CONFIG_X86_64=y and CONFIG_X86=y. That's the diff of the Arch and Ubuntu config: $ diff config-3.10.61-rt65-1-rt-lts_x86_64.Arch_Linux_original /boot/config-3.10.61-rt65-1-moonstudio 3c3 < # Linux/x86 3.10.61 Kernel Configuration --- > # Linux/x86_64 3.10.61 Kernel Configuration 52c52 < CONFIG_LOCALVERSION="-1-rt-lts" --- > CONFIG_LOCALVERSION="-1-moonstudio" 162c162 < CONFIG_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE=y --- > # CONFIG_CHECKPOINT_RESTORE is not set 321d320 < CONFIG_ASN1=m 1734c1733 < CONFIG_SCSI_ADVANSYS=m --- > # CONFIG_SCSI_ADVANSYS is not set 1738,1740c1737,1739 < CONFIG_MEGARAID_MAILBOX=m < CONFIG_MEGARAID_LEGACY=m < CONFIG_MEGARAID_SAS=m --- > # CONFIG_MEGARAID_MAILBOX is not set > # CONFIG_MEGARAID_LEGACY is not set > # CONFIG_MEGARAID_SAS is not set 2179c2178 < CONFIG_PCH_GBE=m --- > # CONFIG_PCH_GBE is not set 4116,4117c4115 < CONFIG_DRM_I915=m < CONFIG_DRM_I915_KMS=y --- > # CONFIG_DRM_I915 is not set 5186c5184 < CONFIG_R8187SE=m --- > # CONFIG_R8187SE is not set 5192,5193c5190,5191 < CONFIG_RTL8192E=m < CONFIG_R8712U=m --- > # CONFIG_RTL8192E is not set > # CONFIG_R8712U is not set 5207,5208c5205,5206 < CONFIG_WLAGS49_H2=m < CONFIG_WLAGS49_H25=m --- > # CONFIG_WLAGS49_H2 is not set > # CONFIG_WLAGS49_H25 is not set 6040,6042c6038 < CONFIG_ASYMMETRIC_PUBLIC_KEY_SUBTYPE=m < CONFIG_PUBLIC_KEY_ALGO_RSA=m < CONFIG_X509_CERTIFICATE_PARSER=m --- > # CONFIG_ASYMMETRIC_PUBLIC_KEY_SUBTYPE is not set 6125d6120 < CONFIG_CLZ_TAB=y 6128d6122 < CONFIG_MPILIB=m -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel Packages, which is subscribed to linux in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1484497 Title: [Wily] wakes up green drives without a valid reason Status in linux package in Ubuntu: Confirmed Bug description: Hi, a minimalist Wily server install, around 4.5 GiB small does cause endless spin downs and spin ups, so that green drives get damaged. I maintain an around 37.5 GiB large Arch Linux install, quasi using the same software used by the Wily install and in addition a little bit more software, which isn't used by the Wily install. For Arch Linux I don't experience this issue. I expect the same for an Ubuntu install. I'm already hunting the culprit, see https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-studio-devel/2015-August/006570.html and https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-studio-devel/2015-August/006571.html, but run out of ideas. The claim the install is 2 GiB small is a typo, the backup archive is of that size. However, assumed Ubuntu won't contribute to http://andrewmcconnell.photoshelter.com/gallery/G0000oLuiBLHIsmM this "feature" should be removed from the defaults. $ lsb_release -rd Description: Ubuntu Wily Werewolf (development branch) Release: 15.10 Regards, Ralf To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1484497/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kernel-packages Post to : kernel-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kernel-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp