---
title: "Avoiding the read-only switch of your VM disk on Linux"
description: "Occasionally, as a result of a storage-related event, some partitions on a Linux machine may become read-only. In this article, we will explain how to correct t"
url: https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/hosted-private-cloud/vmware/how-avoid-disk-read-only-switch-linux
lang: en
---
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# Avoiding the read-only switch of your VM disk on Linux

Occasionally, as a result of a storage-related event, some partitions on a Linux machine may become read-only. In this article, we will explain how to correct this status and reduce the risks of a switch.

 

## Instructions

When partitions are read-only, writing to the file system is no longer possible.

```
$ touch test

touch: cannot touch 'test': Read-only file system
```

The file system status can be confirmed using the `mount` command:

```
$ mount

**/dev/sda1 on / type ext3 (ro,errors=remount-ro)**
tmpfs on /lib/init/rw type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
proc on /proc type proc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
procbususb on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)
udev on /dev type tmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,noexec,nosuid,gid=5,mode=620)
```

To restore `/` to read-write, the VM must be restarted.

 

### Workaround solution

By default, the timeout of SCSI devices is 30 seconds on Linux.

_VMware Tools_ can increase this time to 180 seconds.

It is recommended to set the timeout to 3600 seconds. The following command will execute this for the current session:

```
$ echo 3600 > /sys/block/`basename /dev/sda`/device/timeout
```

To set this value at the VM's startup, you can put this command in the following file:

```
$ nano /etc/rc.local 

#!/bin/sh -e
#

# rc.local

#

# This script is executed at the end of each multiuser runlevel.

#

# Make sure that the script will "exit 0" on success or any other value on error.

#

# In order to enable or disable this script just change the execution

# bits.

#

# By default this script does nothing.

echo 3600 > /sys/block/`basename /dev/sda`/device/timeout
exit 0
```

 

## Go further

Browse all the [VMware on OVHcloud guides](https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/hosted-private-cloud/vmware/landing-page-vmware.md).

Browse the rest of the [OVHcloud US documentation](https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/index.md) for guides on our other products and services.

Learn more about [VMware on OVHcloud](https://us.ovhcloud.com/hosted-private-cloud/vmware/) on the OVHcloud US website.