this post was submitted on 19 May 2026
35 points (94.9% liked)

Selfhosted

60024 readers
924 users here now

A place to share alternatives to popular online services that can be self-hosted without giving up privacy or locking you into a service you don't control.

Rules:

  1. Be civil: we're here to support and learn from one another. Insults won't be tolerated. Flame wars are frowned upon.

  2. No spam.

  3. Posts here are to be centered around self-hosting. Please ensure it is clear in your post how it relates to self-hosting.

  4. Don't duplicate the full text of your blog or git here. Just post the link for folks to click.

  5. Submission headline should match the article title.

  6. No trolling.

Resources:

Any issues on the community? Report it using the report flag.

Questions? DM the mods!

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I'm running a Ubuntu server on my old laptop with an external HDD connected to it. The external HDD is powered independently from the laptop, as it is plugged into the wall.

During a power outage, my laptop remains operational due to its battery, but the HDD shuts down. When power is restored, my laptop does not automatically remount the HDD, and I have to reboot the system manually to access it.

Does anyone know how I can resolve this issue?

Edit: Not sure if this added context changes anything, but this is the HDD I'm using. It's a 3.5" HDD that gets its power directly from the wall.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[โ€“] warmaster@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I can infer that you want suggestions for cost efficient backup power. Depending on the laptop model, it could power the HDD and in case of an outage it could draw power from the laptop's battery. It would decrease battery charge duration but it would be enough for a graceful shutdown to prevent data loss.

Alternatively, you could maybe use a battery pack.

[โ€“] klankin@piefed.ca 1 points 1 month ago

Ive thought about trying this before, but do you have any experience with how to actually hook up the power supply?

Never thought breaking a drive was worth the risk, but theoretically you should be able to solder a buck converter to the laptops motherboard if the voltage requirements vary.