Every homelab enthusiast knows the frustration of a perfectly configured system suddenly encountering a minor, yet persistent, issue. For many, that annoyance revolves around network shares, specifically CIFS mounts, intermittently becoming inaccessible. Whether it’s a momentary network glitch, a server reboot, or some inexplicable “gremlins,” a dropped mount can halt workflows, break backups, and generally disrupt your carefully orchestrated setup. Constantly checking and manually remounting these shares across multiple machines is not only tedious but also unsustainable.

This is where cifs-watch comes in—a simple, yet powerful, Bash script designed to be the guardian of your CIFS mounts. It’s a lightweight solution that silently monitors all your CIFS entries defined in /etc/fstab, ensuring they remain connected and operational.

The Intelligent Solution to Stale Mounts

cifs-watch acts as a proactive health monitor for your network shares. Instead of waiting for you to discover a broken mount, it constantly checks their status. If a mount is unreachable, the script doesn’t just blindly attempt a remount. It first verifies that the host server is actually online via a ping test. This intelligent approach prevents unnecessary attempts and potential system stalls. Once the host is confirmed, cifs-watch proceeds to automatically remount the disconnected share, restoring functionality without any manual intervention.

All its actions—successful checks, reconnections, and any encountered errors—are meticulously logged to /var/log/cifs-watch.log. This provides a clear audit trail and helps troubleshoot if issues persist.

How It Enhances Your Homelab’s Reliability

The elegance of cifs-watch lies in its simplicity and effectiveness. It performs four crucial tasks:
* Identifies CIFS Mounts: It scans your /etc/fstab file to pinpoint all lines configured for the CIFS filesystem type.
* Checks Reachability: For each identified mount, it verifies if the target is currently available and accessible.
* Validates Host Status: Before any remount attempt, it pings the remote host to confirm it’s online, ensuring a higher chance of success.
* Detailed Logging: Every operation, from routine checks to automatic remounts, is recorded, offering transparency and diagnostic capabilities.

Setting up cifs-watch is straightforward: simply place the script in /usr/local/bin/, make it executable, and configure it to run periodically using a systemd timer or a cron job. Once in place, it works tirelessly in the background, keeping your network shares robust and reliable.

Beyond the Basics: A Quality-of-Life Upgrade

While not a groundbreaking new service, cifs-watch is a prime example of a “quality-of-life” automation that significantly improves the daily operation of any homelab. It eliminates a common source of frustration, freeing up your time and mental energy for more complex projects. Small scripts like this are the unsung heroes that contribute to a stable, efficient, and enjoyable homelab environment, ensuring your data is always accessible when you need it.