[2021] smart(8) Update – A permissively licensed alternative to smartctl(8) - Chuck Tuffli, Micha...

The familiar smartctl(8) utility from the SmartMonTools package has helped operators access the S.M.A.R.T. storage device health diagnostics since its introduction in 199*. While smartctl(8) is proven, flexible, and widly-ported, it has long been limited in the machine-readability of its output, burdened by support for long-discontinued devices, and published under a license that precludes its inclusion in permissively-licensed operating systems such as a FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD. The smart(8) utility conceived of by Michael Dexter and authored by Chuck Tuffli addresses many shortcomings of smartctl(8) by focusing on machine-readability, contemporary storage devices, and publication under a BSD two-clause license. This talk will provide a history of diskctl(8) come smart(8) and its motivations, an overview of its implementation and porting to additional platforms including Microsoft Windows, and a tour of its latest features including TSV, libxo, and JSON output. Michael Dexter Mi