USB Hard Drive Issues

[kornp]

I'm running Mythbuntu on a media PC that has no mouse/keyboard or monitor other than the TV (remote control for what is needed.). Just bought an external USB hard drive plugged it in with the computer already on, and it automagically mounted itself at /media/OneTouch4/. Life was good up untill here. Now, if I restart the computer it hangs early on in the mythbuntu loading screen, OR boots up fine without the external drive mounting. If I start up the box without the drive plugged in, then once the computer is on plug it in, everything works fine for the most part.

At times though, if it has sat idle for quite some time it now cannot seem to read /media/OneTouch4/. I can't see the folders within using Samba, and when trying to view the folder through ssh, I get:

phil@popkorn:/media$ ls OneTouch4
ls: OneTouch4: Input/output error

Any suggestions as to why this might be happening, and what I might be able to do to fix it?

[kornp]

Looks like there is an issue with the power management of the drive and linux. The drive spins down after 15 minutes, then can't be revived my the usual means that a drive should (accessing the drive). A workaround is mentioned here:

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquir...rkaround-linux

It disables power management, but I can deal with that.