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Xref: sserve comp.os.386bsd.misc:5286 comp.os.386bsd.questions:16535 Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!yarrina.connect.com.au!wraith.internode.com.au!tipellium.apanix.apana.org.au!usenet From: miff@apanix.apana.org.au (Michael Smith) Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.misc,comp.os.386bsd.questions Subject: Re: FreeBSD 2.0R: tape format available in a snapshot? Date: 10 Feb 1995 08:13:01 GMT Organization: Apanix Public Access Unix, +61 8 373 5485 (5 lines) Lines: 46 Message-ID: <3hf76d$me2@tipellium.apana.org.au> References: <3gqpb2$1g6@clarknet.clark.net> <D3Ho1p.ArC@indirect.com> <D3JJHy.4B0@pencotts.demon.co.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host: seldon.apanix.apana.org.au arg@pencotts.demon.co.uk writes: >>Have you considered just buying pre-formatted tapes? That would take >>care of the problem and save you time both. In volume, they're typically >>only 50 cents to a dollar more, well worth it in my book. ;^) >> >> Wes Peters I presume, Wes, that you're referring to DC2000 tapes - ie. ones that need to be formatted. >But not in my book. You need freshly-formatted tapes each time if you >have drives that write more than one density - if you re-write a 6150 >tape in a 6525-capable drive, it won't read in a conventional 6150 drive >unless it was freshly formatted before writing. This is the same game Huh? You don't 'format' DC600's. You can erase them, sure "mt erase", but any idea that you format them is, well, amusing 8) >Once I have persuaded my supplier to deliver the tape drive I have ordered, >I will be investigating the availability of a format command in FreeBSD >and if necessary writing one myself [as I have had to do on my previous two >operating systems!]. Again, if you are using DC600 tapes, use 'mt erase' if that's your fetish. >andrew.gordon@net-tel.co.uk That aside, for all the tape experts following this scintillating thread, I seek some words of wisdom : I have a reasonably newish (ha!) 9-track tape unit, and a SCSI-Pertec interface adapter for it, and I'd like to correspond with anyone that has, or may have, any information at all on this sort of configuration. The current state of play is; transport commands work, data commands don't (looks like write failures 8( ) If anyone has an address for Cipher technical support (assuming they still exist), this would also be handy. Ta. -- # mike smith : miff@apanix.apana.org.au - Silicon grease monkey # # "The question 'why are the fundamental laws of nature mathematical' # # then invites the trivial response 'because we define as fundamental # # those laws which are mathematical'". Paul Davies, _The_Mind_of_God_. #