How to Install the Python DriveBird client
Getting started
To use the Python DriveBird client you need three preparation steps:
- A Web Account on the DriveNest. Please register one at https://www.drivenest.com
- You need smartmontools (http://www.smartmontools.org)
- A working Python installation
Windows Installation
Once you have created your DriveNest Web Account at https://www.drivenest.com
download and install smartmontools. Choose the latest version from:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/smartmontools/files/smartmontools/
Next download and install Python 2.x (or 3.x) for Windows:
https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/
You can then execute from a command prompt: python pyDriveBird.py -h for possible options.
There is a one-time client activation, which you have to perform: python pyDriveBird.py -a
Activation will ask for your Web Account username and password. This will activate the client
which will allow it to send SMART information to the DriveNest that can be then viewed on the
web. The Web Account information is NOT stored on your system to prevent from someone obtaining
and accessing your DriveNest Web Account. The client can ONLY send SMART data, no other access
is possible after activation.
To send SMART information you just execute: python pyDriveBird.py (without arguments)
By default all your (supported) drives will be scanned. If you want to tweak and customize
which drives you want to monitor then read the information in section DriveBird Layout.
Attention: Please ensure that smartmontools (smartctl) works properly, as it may require
Administrator access.
You can verify this by executing: smartctl --scan-open
If you see "Permission Denied" in the output, you need to give it permissions or run DriveBird
under an administrative account.
Linux Installation
Once you have created your DriveNest Web Account at https://www.drivenest.com
install smartmontools using your distribution's software management. We provide some details for
popular distributions below.
On Debian/Ubuntu/Mint: $ sudo apt-get install smartmontools
On Fedora/CentOS: $ sudo yum install smartmontools
On openSUSE: $ sudo zypper in smartmontools
On Arch Linux: $ sudo pacman -S smartmontools
On Gentoo: $ sudo emerge sys-apps/smartmontools
If you need to enable a user sudo access for smartctl (which is highly recommended, then
insert the following lines in your /etc/sudoers:
Defaults:username !authenticate
username ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:/usr/sbin/smartctl
The first line enables the user "username" to ONLY execute /usr/sbin/smartctl
They are not provided an option to insert a password which by default would let
them execute other specified commands in sudoers.
Mac OS X Installation
You can install smartmontools using MacPorts: # port install smartmontools
Tags: Client, Drivenest, pyDriveBird