*BSD News Article 71347


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From: chapman@allmalt.cs.uwm.edu (Mark Chapman)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Cannot Read a SCSI Tape Written by an Unknown Machine
Date: 18 Jun 1996 14:43:30 GMT
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee - Computer Science
Lines: 32
Message-ID: <4q6fai$r79@uwm.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.139.2

I have a SCSI DAT tape that was written on an unknown machine type using
tar.  The note says "no compression tar -xvf /dev/rmt/0".

When I try to read it, the kernel says the record is too big?

(ahc0:4:0): "WangDAT Model 3100 03.0" type 1 removable SCSI 2
st0(ahc0:4:0): Sequential-Access density code 0x13, 512-byte blocks, write-enabl
ed

The physical media is the same 90 meter tapes I use all the time without 
problems.

********************************
ROOT@interlock:/u3>mt -f /dev/rst0 status
Present Mode:   Density = X3B5/88-185A Blocksize variable
---------available modes---------
Mode 0:         Density = 0x00         Blocksize variable
Mode 1:         Density = 0x00         Blocksize variable
Mode 2:         Density = 0x00         Blocksize variable
Mode 3:         Density = 0x00         Blocksize variable
ROOT@interlock:/u3>tar -xv
tar: read error on /dev/rst0 : Input/output error
st0: 128874-byte record too big
********************************

Any hints?  I can easily read/write other tapes.
I get the same message if I dd, cat, tar, or otherwise try to read the tape.

Thanks
- Mark

chapman@cs.uwm.edu