Btrfsmaintenance vs hw-probe

Btrfsmaintenance is a free set of scripts for automating maintenance on Btrfs filesystems. It can run scrub, balance, trim, and defragmentation, with separate settings to enable, disable, and configure each task. Scrub reads filesystem data and metadata to check checksums, which can reveal hardware problems or bit rot; when a good redundant copy exists, it can repair data automatically. Periodic jobs can be scheduled with cron or systemd timers, though only one scheduling method can be active on a system. The project supports widely used distributions, provides installation guidance for Debian-based systems, and describes manual installation for others. On SUSE-based distributions, a zypper plugin can defragment RPM database files after package installation. Settings are designed for a default installation with Btrfs on the root filesystem and can be changed in the sysconfig file. Scrub may create intense read activity, and balance can use substantial read and write resources; task concurrency can be serialized to manage impact. Directory defragmentation does not descend into other mount points, nested subvolumes, or snapshots, which need separate paths listed. It is licensed under GPL-2.0 and available for Linux and self-hosted use.

hw-probe is a free hardware probing tool for Linux and BSD systems, aimed at debugging computer problems and managing hardware inventory. It captures a snapshot of hardware state and logs, then provides a permanent URL to view the probe. If a device lacks a driver, it can suggest a Linux kernel version or third-party driver using LKDDb data. Users can create an inventory ID and mark probes to locate their computers on Linux-Hardware.org. Its monitoring command schedules a daily cron probe and emails alerts about operating-system failures, configuration changes, and hardware degradation. Optional tests check graphics, drive read speed, CPU performance, and RAM. Installation options include AppImage, Docker, Snap, Flatpak, Live CD/USB, and native packages. Uploads use HTTPS; selected logs can be disabled, and private details are decorated before upload, though edge-case failures are acknowledged. MAC addresses and serial numbers are represented by prefixes of salted SHA-512 hashes. The tool is dual-licensed under LGPL-2.1-or-later and BSD-4-Clause. The Snap package runs in a sandbox with limited functionality.