Does an Ubuntu 14.04 server automatically perform smartctl condition monitoring? How can I check that it's happening properly? How can I be sure that I will receive an email when things start to go wrong?
If the answer to the first question is 'no', what is a recommended simple, straightforward way to set this running in the Ubuntu context?
Have smartctl setup defaults changed in newer LTS releases?
This is not a duplicate of How can I check the SMART status of a SSD or HDD on current versions of Ubuntu 14.04 through 17.10?: the output from sudo smartctl -a /dev/sda does not say when the last test was completed, and gives no information about the scheduling of regular SMART tests.
I am trying to find out what regular, scheduled testing is happening on my machine, to ensure if a problem arises, I can be confident it will be spotted by the system and reported.
SMART testing is one thing, but perhaps there are other things that I can be using as well?
