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Date:      Mon, 25 Aug 1997 21:34:52 -0700 (PDT)
From:      Doug White <dwhite@gdi.uoregon.edu>
To:        Chuck Bacon <crtb@helix.nih.gov>
Cc:        questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: tape question
Message-ID:  <Pine.BSF.3.96.970825213108.2930e-100000@localhost>
In-Reply-To: <199708151339.JAA20335@helix.nih.gov>

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On Fri, 15 Aug 1997, Chuck Bacon wrote:

> Running a new 2.2.2-R system, fresh from the CD-ROM.
> I bought a SCSI TR-4 tape drive (at triple the price) to replace a very
> nice ISA TR-3 unit (not supported because only SCSI tapes are
> supported[1]).

Re: 1 -- it's supported if that ISA card is a supported SCSI card. :)

> Works well except for one peculiarity.  The command:  dump 0uf ....
> fails when the tape reaches the end of its first pass.  That is, the
> tape is prepared to turn around and continue writing on the next track,
> but dump calls out for me to insert the next tape.  However, by adding
> the 'a' option:  dump 0auf ....  everything's fine.  Well, OK, but why
> should dump be interested in the individual tracks of a tape?

Well, it's not anymore.  Those are ancient options that only applied to
ancient tapes before such things as SCSI and MODE SENSE came along.  :) 
See the dump(8) man page and the B and b options. the 'a' flag just keeps
going until it hits end of tape which is a 2.2 or later feature as you
mention.  

I can forward you our command lines which work great for a Connor 2GB
drive using QIC3020 tapes.

> The problem arises with another system running 2.1.0-R.  I want to
> backup over the ethernet onto the 2.2.2 system.  However, Its dump
> doesn't have an 'a' option, and sure enough, can't dump more than
> one pass' worth before asking for a new tape.  Of course, I tried
> copying the dump from 2.2.2, but it won't compile (forgot why).

See the B and b options.  Use way-out sizes so it'll hit end-of-tape and
remember it's 512 byte blocks. 

> [2] I'd REALLY like to know how to take advantage of this, because I've
> listened and waited for a file I knew was way down the tape.

You can't anymore, but check out restore(8) and realize that tapes weren't
really meant for this type of random access.

Doug White                              | University of Oregon  
Internet:  dwhite@resnet.uoregon.edu    | Residence Networking Assistant
http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~dwhite    | Computer Science Major
Spam routed to /dev/null by Procmail    | Death to Cyberpromo




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