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I just found this dead.letter file in my root directory from two months ago:

$ ll /dead.letter 
-rw------- 1 root root      638 Sep 23 02:44 /dead.letter

This is its content:

Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2016 02:44:47 +0200
To: root
Subject: SMART error (FailedOpenDevice) detected on host:
 BC-AlkaliMetal
User-Agent: s-nail v14.8.6

This message was generated by the smartd daemon running on:

   host name:  BC-AlkaliMetal
   DNS domain: [Empty]

The following warning/error was logged by the smartd daemon:

Device: /dev/sda [SAT], unable to open device

Device info:
WDC WD10JPVX-22JC3T0, S/N:WD-WXH1E65DXFLK, WWN:5-0014ee-65bab5da7, FW:01.01A01, 1.00 TB

For details see host's SYSLOG.

You can also use the smartctl utility for further investigation.
Another message will be sent in 24 hours if the problem persists.

As it's nearly two months old now, I can't tell anything about the circumstances when this file was created any more, unfortunately. However, my notebook is less than a year old and the current SMART status as reported in gnome-disks are all good, a short self-test also ran successfully.

So what does this all mean, why do I have this file and do I need to worry because of the error/warning it talks about?

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    "Another message will be sent in 24 hours if the problem persists." :P That "dead.letter" was created by your -mail- because it could not mail it. See man mailx and the DEAD variable.
    – Rinzwind
    Commented Nov 20, 2016 at 20:13

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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  • I just saw one today, so curious to know what in that dead.letter (Is it from a hacker? :D). Similar contents:

    Date: Thu, 08 Dec 2016 00:48:26 +0100
To: root
Subject: SMART error (FailedOpenDevice) detected on host:
 user.dz-blueskies
User-Agent: s-nail v14.8.6

This message was generated by the smartd daemon running on:

   host name:  user.dz-blueskies
   DNS domain: [Empty]

The following warning/error was logged by the smartd daemon:

Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], unable to open device

Device info:
WDC WD20NMVW-11W68S0, S/N:WD-WX51A82P0486, WWN:5-0014ee-25cb067e3, FW:01.01A01, 
2.00 TB

For details see host's SYSLOG.

You can also use the smartctl utility for further investigation.
Another message will be sent in 24 hours if the problem persists.

    User-Agent: s-nail is the mail tool so checked man s-nail | grep -n dead and found as Rinzwind said.

    2334:     DEAD    The name of the file to use for saving aborted messages if save is set; this defaults to dead.letter in the user's HOME directory.
2507:               DEAD=+dead.mbox

    smartd is configured to send email to the root user, from /etc/smartd.conf:

    DEVICESCAN -d removable -n standby -m root -M exec /usr/share/smartmontools/smartd-runner

    The error is about smartd that could find accessible device node /dev/sdb (in my case, external USB drive). Possibly, after unclean eject, I couldn't test because I have to wait 30min for next smartd scan.

    $ grep smartd  /var/log/syslog
Dec  8 00:48:26 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 117 to 109
Dec  8 00:48:26 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 00:48:26 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Sending warning via /usr/share/smartmontools/smartd-runner to root ...
Dec  8 00:48:26 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Warning via /usr/share/smartmontools/smartd-runner to root produced unexpected output (118 bytes) to STDOUT/STDERR:
Dec  8 00:48:26 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: /etc/smartmontools/run.d/10mail:
Dec  8 00:48:26 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Cannot start "/usr/sbin/sendmail": executable not found (adjust *sendmail* variable)
Dec  8 00:48:26 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Warning via /usr/share/smartmontools/smartd-runner to root: successful
Dec  8 01:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 109 to 107
Dec  8 01:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 01:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 107 to 106
Dec  8 01:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 02:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 02:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 03:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 03:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 04:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 106 to 107
Dec  8 04:18:26 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 04:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 107 to 106
Dec  8 04:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 05:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 05:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 06:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 106 to 108
Dec  8 06:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 06:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 108 to 109
Dec  8 06:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 07:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 07:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 08:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 08:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 09:18:26 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 09:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 109 to 110
Dec  8 09:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 10:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 110 to 108
Dec  8 10:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 10:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 108 to 109
Dec  8 10:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 11:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 11:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 109 to 108
Dec  8 11:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 12:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 108 to 109
Dec  8 12:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 12:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 109 to 108
Dec  8 12:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 13:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 108 to 109
Dec  8 13:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 13:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 14:18:26 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open() failed: No such device
Dec  8 14:48:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], open device worked again, warning condition reset after 1 email
Dec  8 14:48:26 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 120 to 128
Dec  8 15:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], SMART Prefailure Attribute: 3 Spin_Up_Time changed from 211 to 210
Dec  8 15:18:25 user.dz-blueskies smartd[1086]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], SMART Usage Attribute: 194 Temperature_Celsius changed from 128 to 121

    BTW, Those temperature measurements don't seem right (Celsius), more real as Fahrenheit.

  • I could get same syslog message even with safe eject, smartd scans the devices at start then keep monitoring them even after eject.

    Your message is old 23 Sep 2016, all most 3 months, no logs left and issue didn't repeat, no mail pending too. I think we need a way to reproduce it, may by decreasing smartd interval, edit its systemd service file.

    $ sudo vim /lib/systemd/system/smartd.service
ExecStart=/usr/sbin/smartd -n -i 10 $smartd_opts

    -i 10 for 10 sec interval. However, be aware smartd is using it as strict value for data query, and not for reporting (I could notice some intervals 11sec to 5min between messages).

    Restart the service:

    sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart smartd

    To follow it in a terminal using:

    tail -f /var/log/syslog | grep smartd
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    Okay, so now I understand how that file got there, but I'm still not really sure what to think of the content, i.e. the SMART error that initially caused this. /dev/sda is my secondary internal data HDD, not a removable device. So how can it fail to open?
    – Byte Commander ♦
    Commented Dec 8, 2016 at 14:51
  • @ByteCommander, Your message is old 23 Sep 2016, all most 3 months, no logs left and issue didn't repeat. Check if you have another mail pending, by running mail as root. I think we need a way to reproduce it, may by decreasing smartd interval.
    – user.dz
    Commented Dec 8, 2016 at 15:08
  • sudo mail says "No mail for root". All SMART values of the HDD are green and both a short and a long self-test completed successfully. It's also less than a year old, so I can't imagine there is any physical failure. How can that smartd interval be modified, as you suggest?
    – Byte Commander ♦
    Commented Dec 8, 2016 at 15:10
  • @ByteCommander, updated my answer.
    – user.dz
    Commented Dec 8, 2016 at 15:58

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